Taiwan President Lai Ching-te arrived in Hawaii for a week-long tour in the Pacific, signaling a new era of democracy. However, this visit has caused significant anger in Beijing, which views Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes any international recognition of it as a sovereign state.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te is welcomed by Ms Ingrid Larson, managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan, upon his arrival in Hawaii , on Nov 30.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 .
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. “This is the first time the 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.
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. 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.Taiwanese government officials have previously stopped over on US soil during visits to the Pacific or Latin America, angering China, which has sometimes responded with military drills around the island.
The dispute between Taiwan and China dates back to 1949, when Chiang Kai-shek’s nationalist forces were defeated by Mao Zedong’s communist fighters and fled to the island.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-Te Hawaii US Tour Beijing Sovereignty Democracy
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