As US grapples with China relations, Taiwan’s leader scraps stop on American soil

Lai Ching-te (AP File Photo)

The Taiwanese government has called off a plan for its leader to transit through the United States on his way to Latin America, The Associated Press has learned — a decision leading to conflicting accounts of the reason for the cancellation.

Amid speculation that the Trump administration had opposed a proposed stopover by Lai Ching-te in New York, Taipei said Lai had no overseas travel plans due to domestic issues, including natural disasters and tariff negotiations with the United States. The other proposed stop on Lai’s itinerary was Dallas, Texas.

Whatever the reason, the cancellation is certain to hand a major diplomatic victory to Beijing and has drawn concerns from experts that the White House is setting a bad precedent for U.S.-China relations.

Details about the administration’s decision were scant, but one person with knowledge of the discussions told AP that the U.S. “had asked Taipei to rearrange the transit — not go through New York.”

Another person with knowledge of the discussions said Beijing had sensed that it could ask President Donald Trump not to allow Lai to transit through the U.S. because of the perceived “desperation” by Trump to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Both people spoke on condition of anonymity.

The White House said it had nothing to say on this matter. Tammy Bruce, spokesperson for the State Department, said it was a “hypothetical” issue because Taiwan had not announced any travel plans for Lai.

By the end of last week it was clear that the Trump administration was discussing the likely transit by Lai, though it was unclear if the administration had moved to block it, according to one of the people.

Jason Hsu, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a former legislator in Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan, said Taiwan always consults with the United States on transit and called it “abnormal” for Washington not to agree when such stopovers are permitted under the Taiwan Relations Act.

In Taipei, Karen Kuo, spokesperson for the Lai’s office, said there was no immediate plan for him to travel.

“Considering the recent typhoon disaster recovery efforts in southern Taiwan, the U.S.-Taiwan reciprocal tariff measures and regional developments, [he] currently has no plans for overseas visits in the near future,” Kuo said. MDT/AP