Taiwan's Lai set to push back US stopover as US-China trade talks continue, sources say
WASHINGTON/TAIPEI - Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te is set to delay a diplomatically sensitive trip his team had floated to the Trump administration for August that would have included stops in the United States, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Such a trip was bound to infuriate Beijing at a time when US President Donald Trump is
trying to negotiate a deal on trade with China. China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a claim Taiwan rejects, and regularly denounces any shows of support for Taipei from Washington.
The trip, which could have included visits to Guatemala, Belize and Paraguay, was never formally confirmed but had been discussed with the governments involved, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Mr Lai had considered stopping in New York and Dallas on the way to and from Latin America.
Mr Lai is set to delay the trip until at least later this year for a handful of reasons, including the need to organise his government's response to extreme weather in Taiwan, one of the sources said.
Two of the sources also pinned the delay on the ongoing US tariff talks with Taipei and Beijing, respectively.
Top US and Chinese economic officials huddled in Stockholm, Sweden, on July 28 to resume talks.
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The White House and China's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while Taiwan's Presidential Office was not immediately available for comment late on the night of July 28.
'There's no such thing as cancelling the trip. In fact, further arrangement for the trip will be made later this year,' according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter, who said stopovers were likely to include Texas and another city in the US mainland.
Responding to media inquiries earlier on July 28, Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo said once the president's overseas visit itinerary is finalised, it will be announced to the public in a timely manner.
'However, considering the recent typhoon disaster recovery efforts in southern Taiwan, the US-Taiwan reciprocal tariff measures and regional developments, the president currently has no plans for overseas visits in the near future,' Ms Kuo said.
Lowering tensions
The decision comes as Mr Trump has tried to lower tensions with Chinese President Xi Jinping and potentially have a summit in Asia with him this autumn.
Mr Lai has yet to visit the US since Mr Trump took office in January, though late in 2024 he stopped over in Hawaii and the US territory of Guam while visiting the Pacific.
The US, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is its strongest international backer, bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself. Washington is the island's top arms supplier.
China has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.
Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, saying only the island's people can decide their future. Taiwan says it is already an independent country called the Republic of China, its official name.
Trump administration spokespeople have previously said "transits of the United States by high-level Taiwan officials, including presidents, are in line with past practice, and fully consistent with our longstanding policy."
China's Foreign Ministry has previously condemned what it has called 'sneaky visits' to the US by Taiwanese leaders under any pretext. They have said the US must understand how sensitive the Taiwan issue is and act with the utmost caution. REUTERS
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Asia News Network
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- Asia News Network
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The company recently started road testing its robotaxis in Luxembourg in cooperation with Emile Weber, the country's leading mobility solutions provider, to deploy electric autonomous vehicles in Luxembourg, and accelerate robotaxi application in Europe. James Peng, co-founder and CEO of said the testing marks the beginning of collaboration, innovation, and the advancement of autonomous mobility in both Luxembourg and the continent. announced in April that it had obtained a testing permit for Level 4 autonomous driving from Luxembourg authorities. The authorization expands its global testing footprint, building on existing permits in China, the United States, and South Korea. The company earlier chose Luxembourg as its European hub for research, development, and the deployment of autonomous driving technology. Autonomous driving is categorized from Level 0 to Level 5. The higher the level, the more intelligent the technology and the less the involvement of humans. 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By cooperating with leading overseas companies, they can receive funding and policy support abroad and enhance their competitiveness in the global intelligent automotive sector. This will in turn drive the development of domestic companies involved in the autonomous driving industrial chain, she added. 'Self-driving technology is expected to become an important field for China to share its development dividends with the world,' Duan said. Market consulting firm McKinsey& Company has forecast that China will become the world's largest market for self-driving vehicles, with revenue from such vehicles and mobility services exceeding $500 billion by 2030. China has caught up with the US in developing autonomous driving, said Lyu Jinghong, an intelligent mobility analyst at research company BloombergNEF. 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Straits Times
an hour ago
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Zelensky spoke to Trump on sanctions against Russia and drones ahead of peace deal deadline
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House in Washington, on Feb 28, 2025. KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug 5 that he had had a 'productive' conversation with his US counterpart Donald Trump that covered ending the war, sanctions on Russia and the finalisation of a US-Ukraine drone deal. Mr Trump, who has signalled frustration with Vladimir Putin in recent weeks, has given the Russian president until Aug 8 to make peace in Ukraine or face tougher sanctions. "President Trump is fully informed about Russian strikes on Kyiv and other cities and communities," Mr Zelensky wrote on X, referring to intensifying drone and missile attacks. He added that Ukraine was also ready to conclude a deal with the US on the production of Ukrainian drones that would amount to 'one of the strongest agreements'. Ukraine is increasingly seeking financing and investment from its foreign partners to bolster its burgeoning domestic arms industry. REUTERS
