China 'strongly condemns' US over Taiwan president's Hawaii stay

By: AFP
Published: 09:13 AM, 1 Dec, 2024
China 'strongly condemns' US over Taiwan president's Hawaii stay
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China said Sunday that it "strongly condemned" the United States "arranging" for Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te to stopover in Hawaii, where he was welcomed by the governor of the island state.

"China strongly condemns the US's arranging for Lai Ching-te's 'stopover' and has lodged serious protests with the US," a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement.

'Red carpet treatment': Taiwan's Lai feted during US stop on Pacific trip

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te was feted with a red carpet, garlands of flowers and "alohas" as he kicked off his two-day stopover in Hawaii on Saturday, part of a Pacific tour that has sparked fiery rhetoric from Beijing.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has responded to Lai's first overseas trip as president with threats to "resolutely crush" any attempt for independence.

Looking relaxed in a Hawaiian shirt, Lai flitted around the US island state, visiting a Pacific island history museum, an emergency management centre and the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbour.

Earlier, he was given the "red carpet treatment" on the tarmac of Honolulu's international airport, according to his office, which said it was the first time a Taiwanese president had been given such a welcome.

He was met by Ingrid Larson, managing director in Washington of the American Institute in Taiwan, Hawaii Governor Josh Green, and others.

At every turn, Lai was presented with garlands of brightly coloured flowers or leaves known as leis, greetings of "aloha", and other Hawaiian gifts.

In the evening, Lai is expected to deliver his first public speech of the week-long trip at a dinner attended by US government officials and Taiwanese people living abroad.

Beijing opposes any international recognition of Taiwan and its claim to be a sovereign state and especially bristles at official contact between the island and the United States.

Like most countries, Washington does not recognize Taiwan diplomatically but is its most important backer and biggest supplier of arms.

In a statement, China's foreign ministry said it "strongly condemns" the United States for Lai's stopover and that it had "lodged serious protests with the US".

"China will closely follow the developments and take resolute and strong measures to defend our nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity," it said.

After Hawaii, Lai will visit Taiwan's allies the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau -- the only Pacific island nations among the 12 countries that recognize Taiwan's claim to statehood -- and stop over for one night in the US territory of Guam.

Lai said shortly before take-off in Taipei that the trip "ushered in a new era of values-based democracy" and thanked the US government for "helping to make this trip a smooth one".

He said he wanted to "continue to expand cooperation and deepen partnerships with our allies based on the values of democracy, peace and prosperity."

"I once again emphasize that we are all Team Taiwan. We all work together, and we can successfully achieve our goals," Lai told reporters on board the plane.

An AFP journalist is travelling with the president for the duration of the trip.

Agence France-Presse is an international news agency.