Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te canceled his trip to Latin America amid reports that the US opposed his stopover in New York. This was reported by The Guardian, informs UNN.
Details
Lai was expected to visit Paraguay, Guatemala, and Belize next month, which recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state. But the US said he would not be able to stop in New York.
Amid reports that the Trump administration opposed the president's proposed stopover in New York, his government said Lai had no plans for foreign travel due to domestic issues, including natural disasters and tariff negotiations with the United States.
At the same time, "a person familiar with the negotiations" said that the US "asked Taipei to change the route - not to go through New York."
In turn, Jason Hsu, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and former Taiwanese parliamentarian, called Washington's decision "abnormal," as such stops are allowed by the Taiwan Relations Act, and added that the Trump administration "accepted China's red lines."
Context
The administration of US President Donald Trump denied Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te permission to stop in New York on his way to Central America after China expressed objections to Washington regarding this visit.
The White House's decision heightened concerns among Taiwan's supporters in Washington that Trump was softening his stance on China in an effort to secure a meeting with the country's leader, Xi Jinping.