《TAIPEI TIMES》 VP Lai departs for US, Paraguay

‘ROUTINE’ VISIT: While an American Institute in Taiwan official said she was ‘looking forward to welcoming’ Lai, Beijing said it would respond by holding military drills

/ Staff writer, with CNA

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Vice President William Lai （賴清德） yesterday said he was looking forward to meeting with top envoys from like-minded countries while on a seven-day trip that includes two days in Paraguay and stops in New York and San Francisco.

Lai, who is also the Democratic Progressive Party’s presidential candidate for next year’s election, made the comments at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport prior to his departure.

He said he would seek to bring attention to Taiwan’s democracy, freedom and human rights, as well as its efforts to contribute to the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region.

His visit to Paraguay would demonstrate the importance to Taipei of its relations with the South American ally, he said.

Lai added that during his two-day stay in Paraguay, he would seek opportunities to expand bilateral cooperation in education, public health and other areas prioritized by Paraguayan president-elect Santiago Pena, and meet with Taiwanese expatriates in South America.

Earlier in the day, Lai wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was “excited to meet with #US friends in transit.”

In response, Laura Rosenberger, chair of the American Institute in Taiwan — the de facto embassy for Taiwan based in Virginia — wrote that officials were “looking forward to welcoming” Lai.

The vice president and his delegation would first arrive in New York for a stopover before they head to Paraguay tonight, the latest itinerary provided by the Presidential Office showed.

Lai would touch down in San Francisco on Wednesday afternoon on his return from South America and depart early the next day.

China, which has denounced Lai’s planned transit in the US, on Friday said it would hold three days of military exercises in the East China Sea starting yesterday.

In Taipei, the Ministry of National Defense said the same day that it would closely monitor the situation around the Taiwan Strait and take appropriate measures.

A US Department of State spokesperson said that Lai’s transits are “consistent with longstanding practices, the unofficial nature of our relations with Taiwan and our one China policy.”

Similarly, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier said that allowing Taiwanese leaders to transit the US has been a “routine” practice, and there is no reason for Beijing to use the issue as “a pretext for provocative action.”

Additional reporting by AFP

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES