Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te stated in the United States on Saturday that we must “fight together to prevent war” as he began a week-long tour of the Pacific that has provoked heated rhetoric from Beijing.
China, which considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and constantly deploys fighter jets and warships around the self-ruled island to press its claims, poses a persistent danger of military invasion.
Washington is Taipei’s most significant partner and largest supplier of armaments, but it maintains a “strategic ambiguity” when it comes to placing forces on the ground to defend the island against China.
Speaking at a dinner in the US island state of Hawaii on Saturday, Lai said there were “no winners” from warfare and that “we have to fight, fight together to prevent war.”
According to AFP, Lai earned a standing ovation as he went down a red carpet to meet with US government officials, state lawmakers, members of Congress, and Taiwanese expats.
He stated that the US flag and Hawaii state flag presented to him as a gift “symbolise the longstanding friendship between Taiwan and the United States and lay the foundation for future cooperation.”
The head of the American Institute in Taiwan, which acts as the de facto US embassy, stated that Washington and Taipei’s cooperation was “rock solid.”.
“The opportunity for you to engage with thought leaders, the diaspora’s community, and state and local leaders is invaluable, and I know it will contribute to further strengthening the rock-solid US-Taiwan partnership,” Laura Rosenberger said in a pre-recorded video played at the dinner.
Like most countries, Washington does not recognize Taiwan diplomatically but maintains close, unofficial ties.
Beijing opposes any international recognition of Taiwan and its claim to be a sovereign state and especially bristles at official contact between the island and the United States.
In a statement, China’s foreign ministry said it “strongly condemns” the United States for Lai’s stopover and that it had “lodged serious protests with the US.”
“China will closely follow the developments and take resolute and strong measures to defend our nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” stated a statement.
Lai, who is visiting Hawaii for the first time since taking office in May, was greeted with red carpets, flower garlands, and “alohas” as he arrived for his two-day layover.
Lai flitted around, looking relaxed in a Hawaiian shirt, stopping by a Pacific Island history museum, an emergency management centre, and the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbour.
According to his administration, he was given the “red carpet treatment” on the tarmac of Honolulu’s international airport, marking the first time a Taiwanese president had received such a greeting.
He was greeted by Ingrid Larson, AIT’s Washington managing director, Hawaii Governor Josh Green, and others.
Taiwanese government officials have previously stopped in the United States while visiting the Pacific or Latin America, infuriating China, which has responded with military drills surrounding the island.
After Hawaii, Lai will travel to Taiwan’s allies, the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau—the only Pacific island nations among the 12 that recognise Taiwan’s claim to statehood—and spend one night on the US territory of Guam.
Lai stated just before takeoff in Taipei that the trip “ushered in a new era of values-based democracy” and praised the US administration for “assisting in making this trip a smooth one.”
