Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te. - Photo: Reuters file
TAIPEI: (Bernama-dpa) Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te (pic) departed Taipei on Saturday (Nov 30) for what is his first overseas trip to the allies of the self-governing island country, with stopovers planned in the US, the German news agency dpa reported.
Lai's seven-day trip will see him visit partners in the South Pacific, including the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau.
On his way there, he is scheduled to make a stopover in Hawaii, where he will spend two nights, followed by a stopover in the US territory of Guam in the West Pacific on December 4.
"I'd like to thank the US government for adhering to the principles of safety, dignity, comfort, and convenience in facilitating the success of this trip," Lai said upon his departure from Taiwan's Taoyuan International Airport.
Lai added that he hopes that the trip will help further enhance exchanges with Taiwan's three long-standing allies, to deepen democratic ties and promote environmental sustainability.
Beijing condemned Lai's trip on Thursday, with the Chinese Foreign Ministry expressing its opposition to official interactions between the US and Taiwan and rejecting any visits by Taiwanese leaders to the US.
Taiwan has had an independent government since 1949, but China considers the democratic island part of its territory.
Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that it has received formal notification from the US government that the administration has informed Congress of two proposed arms sales to Taiwan, valued at approximately US$385 million.
One sale, valued at US$320 million, involves critical components and logistical support for F-16 aircraft and Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar systems.
The second sale, worth US$65 million, covers sustained maintenance for tactical area communication systems, according to a statement from the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on Friday.
The US, Taiwan's most important backer, is legally bound to support the island democracy's defence capabilities due to the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act. - Bernama-dpa
