Taiwan's president arrives in Hawaii for a 2-day stop in the US as part of South Pacific visit
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te has arrived in Hawaii for a two-day transit in the U.S. as part of a trip to the South Pacific
HONOLULU (AP) — Taiwan's president Lai Ching-te arrived Saturday in Hawaii to begin a two-day transit in the U.S. as part of a trip to the South Pacific, his first since assuming office.
The stopover in Hawaii and one planned for the territory of Guam have drawn fierce criticism from Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its own territory and objects to official exchanges between the self-ruled democracy and the U.S., the island's biggest backer and military provider.
There were no high-ranking U.S. or Hawaii state officials to greet Lai at the Honolulu hotel where supporters cheered in Mandarin, some waving Taiwanese flags. He visited Hawaii's leading museum of natural history and Native Hawaiian culture, Bishop Museum. Later, he was expected to attend a banquet with supporters.
On Sunday, Lai held a 20-minute phone talk with former U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, according to Taiwan's official Central News Agency. The two discussed China's “military threats” toward Taiwan among other things, according to presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo.
