President Says Taiwan Is Good for World Peace as He Departs for Hawaii

President Lai Ching-te said that Taiwan is an important part of supporting peace and security around the world as he left for Hawaii on Saturday as part of a tour of the Pacific. He thanked the US for letting him stop over.

China sees the freely run island as its own land, so it has been putting more military pressure on Taiwan. This year, there were two rounds of war games.

Reuters has learned from security sources that Beijing may hold more to go along with Lai’s Pacific tour, which stops in Hawaii and Guam, which is an American territory.

Lai told reporters at Taiwan’s largest international airport outside of Taipei, “Thank you to the U.S. government for upholding the principles of safety, dignity, comfort, and convenience, which made this trip go so smoothly.”

Lai will spend the first two nights in Hawaii before going to the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau. These are three of the 12 countries that still have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and China has been growing its power in this part of the world.

Taiwanese leaders often use official stopovers in the US to meet with friendly U.S. politicians and give talks. Most of the time, these stops are made on the way to see friends in the Pacific, Latin America, or the Caribbean.

“This trip marks the start of a new era of diplomacy based on shared values.”

Democracy, wealth, and peace are what the people of Taiwan want, and as president, I have to work to make them happen, Lai said.

“I will continue to expand cooperation and deepen our partnership with our allies and friends based on the values of democracy, peace, and prosperity, so that the world can see that Taiwan is not only a model of democracy, but also a key force in promoting global peace, stability, and prosperity.”

There are large U.S. military bases in Hawaii and Guam.

A few hours before Lai left, the US announced a new arms sale to Taiwan worth about $385 million. The package included spare parts for F-16 jets and radars.

The United States should be “utmost careful” in its dealings with Taiwan, China told the US on Friday.

The State Department said it didn’t see any reason why what it called Lai’s “private, routine, and unofficial transit” should be used as an excuse to provoke.

Since taking office in May, this is Lai’s first trip outside of China. On Friday, he goes back to Taiwan.

China says Taiwan is its own country, but Taiwan’s government says it can interact with the rest of the world and allow its leaders to visit to other countries.