BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd August, 2023) Taiwanese Vice President and presidential candidate Lai Ching-te will make transit stops in New York and San Francisco on his way to and back from Paraguay later this month, Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister Yui Tah-ray said on Wednesday.
In July, Taiwan's CNA news agency reported that Lai was going to head a delegation for the inauguration of Paraguayan president-elect Santiago Pena from August 12-18.
"The delegation will make a stopover in New York on August 12 and leave the US on August 13. In the morning of August 14 it will arrive in Paraguay to take part in President-elect Santiago Pena's inauguration on August 15. The delegation will leave Paraguay on August 16 and make a stopover in San Francisco on the same day. It will leave the US on August 17 and arrive in Taiwan on August 18," the deputy minister said.
On July 20, CNA also reported that China considers preventing Lai's transit stopovers in the US a "top priority," as "this is a very dangerous path they (Taiwanese) are taking."
In April, Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party officially nominated� Lai, who also serves as its chairman, as its candidate for the 2024 presidential election. Current Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen cannot run for the office again as she has already served two consecutive presidential terms.
Taiwan currently has only 13 official diplomatic allies, including Belize, Guatemala, Paraguay, Haiti and the Vatican. Taipei maintains official contacts with other countries through its "economic and cultural representations."
Tensions over Taiwan significantly increased last August after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to Taipei despite Beijing's warnings against such a visit. China condemned Pelosi's trip, which it regarded as a gesture of support for separatism, and launched large-scale military exercises in the vicinity of the island.
Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan - a territory with its own elected government - maintains that it is an autonomous country, but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable.
