Taiwan vice president leaves on sensitive trip to United States

William Lai, the vice president of Taiwan, departed for the United States on Saturday for a sensitive trip that China has denounced and that Taiwanese officials fear may lead to increased Chinese military operations near the democratically-run island.

Lai, who is expected to win Taiwan’s presidential election in January, will ostensibly only stop in America for transit on his trip to and from Paraguay to attend that country’s president’s inauguration.

Beijing has reacted angrily to what it perceives as yet another indication of U.S. support for Taiwan, which it says is sovereign Chinese territory. Taipei and Washington argue that such stopovers are common and are not justification for China to engage in “provocative” behaviour.

According to Taiwanese officials, China is likely to begin military exercises in the vicinity of Taiwan the next week as a pretext for using Lai’s visits to the US to terrify voters before of an election next year and instill a “fear of war” in them.

Lai briefly mentioned the American portion of his journey when speaking to media at Taiwan’s largest international airport in Taoyuan, saying he was first headed to New York.

He declared that he would utilise the trip to Paraguay to meet with delegations from allies and to conduct “self-confident” talks with other nations in addition to strengthening ties with that nation. He didn’t specify anyone.

This will “let the international community understand that Taiwan is a country that adheres to democracy, freedom and human rights, and actively participates in international affairs”, Lai added.

It will also let the world know about “our various efforts to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific”, he said.

Lai visited Honduras last year to attend the country’s presidential inauguration, and while there, she spoke briefly but meaningfully with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. Who might be travelling to Paraguay next week has not yet been disclosed by the United States.

Lai, who has previously identified himself as a “practical worker for Taiwan independence,” is particularly despised by Beijing. However, Lai has emphasised numerous times throughout the election campaign that he does not wish to alter the current situation.

On the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, Lai posted in English before departing that he was “excited to meet with US friends in transit” and that he was travelling to Paraguay, one of only 13 nations that still retain diplomatic ties with Taipei.

Laura Rosenberger, chair of the Virginia-based American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), a U.S. government-run non-profit that carries out unofficial relations with Taiwan, responded on X that AIT was looking forward to welcoming him “during his transit en route to Paraguay”.

Neither Taiwan nor the United States has given exact details about his U.S. schedule, and both are aiming to keep that part low key, according to officials briefed on the trip.

Lai is to return from Paraguay via San Francisco and is due back in Taiwan on Friday, according to the official schedule for the trip published on Saturday, which does not mention the U.S. legs.

The Paraguay part of the trip is also important given China’s increasing efforts to take Taiwan’s remaining allies.

Honduras, once a stalwart Taiwanese partner, switched relations to China in March.

(With agency inputs)