Taiwan president plans Hawaii visit on sensitive trip to Pacific, sources say

15/11/2024 16:29

        Taiwan President Lai Ching-te is planning to stop in Hawaii and maybe Guam on a visit to Taipei's diplomatic allies in the Pacific in the coming weeks, sources told Reuters, a sensitive trip coming shortly after the U.S. election.
        
        Lai, who won election in January, has yet to travel overseas since taking office in May. China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, detests Lai as a "separatist" and routinely objects to any interaction between Taiwan's government and foreign officials.
        
        Six sources briefed on the visit, speaking on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters that Lai is planning a stopover in Hawaii as part of an overseas trip starting in the coming weeks.
        
        A stopover in the U.S. territory of Guam was also being discussed, four of the sources said. Both Hawaii and Guam are home to major U.S. military bases.
        Two of the sources said that the stopovers would be part of Lai's visit to Taiwan's diplomatic allies in the Pacific.