William Lai
Taiwan Vice President William Lai departs on Saturday for a sensitive trip to the United States, which China has denounced and which Taiwanese officials fear may result in increased Chinese military operations surrounding the democratically governed island.
Lai, the front-runner to become Taiwan’s president in the January elections, is officially making just transit stops in the United States on his trip to and from Paraguay for the president’s swearing-in.
Such stopovers, according to Taipei and Washington, are regular and no reason for China to take provocative acts, but Beijing has reacted angrily to what it perceives as another evidence of U.S. backing for Taiwan, which it says is legitimate Chinese territory.
According to Taiwanese officials, China is planning to start military drills near Taiwan next week, using Lai’s stopovers in the United States as a pretext to terrify voters ahead of a next year’s election and instill fear of war in them.
Beijing despises Lai, who has defined himself as a practical worker for Taiwan’s independence in the past. On the other, has stated frequently during the election campaign that he does not want to disrupt the status quo.
Lai, who will first visit New York, posted a short video on his social media accounts late Friday announcing his trip, citing only the Paraguay portion, despite the fact that the country is one of only 13 that maintain formal ties with Taipei.
He displayed his luggage, which includes a Garmin solar-powered GPS bike computer for Paraguay’s new president, Santiago Pena, as well as neck cushions and baggage tags plastered with phrases such as ‘Team Taiwan’ in English and ‘Taiwan, your backer’ in Chinese.
Lai stated, “I hope, by serving as President Tsai Ing-wen’s special envoy to Paraguay to participate in the inauguration ceremony of the new president, to convey the blessings of the people of Taiwan”.
Neither Taiwan nor the United States has provided specifics regarding his itinerary in the United States.
According to the U.S. State Department, Lai will meet the chair of the Virginia-based American Institute in Taiwan, a U.S. government-run non-profit that maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan.
Lai will return from Paraguay via San Francisco after speaking with the media at Taiwan’s main international airport on Saturday afternoon.
The trip to Paraguay is especially significant in light of China’s escalating efforts to seize Taiwan’s last allies.
Honduras, a long-standing Taiwanese ally, shifted to China in March. Lai visited Honduras last year for the inauguration of its president and had a brief but symbolic conversation with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris while there.
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