HONOLULU – Taiwan President Lai Ching-te arrived on Nov 30 in the United States for the start of a week-long tour in the Pacific that he said would usher in a new era of democracy, but which has sparked fury in Beijing.
China considers self-governed Taiwan to be part of its territory and opposes any international recognition of the island and its claim to be a sovereign state.
Beijing especially bristles at official exchanges between Taiwan and the US, which does not recognise Taipei diplomatically but is its most important backer and biggest supplier of arms.
Mr Lai, who has been an outspoken defender of Taiwan’s sovereignty and whom Beijing calls a “separatist,” is on his first overseas trip since taking office in May.
He landed in the US island state of Hawaii shortly before 7.30am local time (1.30am on Dec 1 in Singapore), said an AFP journalist traveling with the president for the duration of the trip.
Mr Lai was met at Honolulu International Airport by Ms Ingrid Larson, who is the managing director in Washington of the American Institute in Taiwan, and Hawaii Governor Josh Green.
“This is the first time the (Taiwan) head of state was greeted on the tarmac, given red carpet treatment and presented with flowers, marking the highest standard of courtesy over the past years, in a departure from the traditional terminal reception protocol,” Taipei’s Presidential Office said in a statement.
Mr Lai will have a two-day stopover in Hawaii, with visits on Nov 30 to the Bishop Museum, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, and the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbour, according to his official schedule.
He will later spend one night in the US territory of Guam as he visits Taiwan’s allies Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau.
They are the only Pacific island nations among the 12 remaining countries that recognise Taiwan, after China poached others with promises of aid and investment.
In a speech shortly before departing Taipei, Mr Lai said the trip “ushered in a new era of values-based democracy” and he thanked the US government for “helping to make this trip a smooth one.”
Mr Lai said he wanted to “continue to expand cooperation and deepen partnerships with our allies based on the values of democracy, peace and prosperity.”
Threat of invasion
Taiwan lives under the constant threat of an invasion by China, which has refused to rule out using force to bring the island under its control.
Beijing deploys fighter jets, drones and warships around Taiwan on a near-daily basis to press its claims, with the number of sorties increasing in recent years.
