Presidential visit to allies and stopover in U.S. in the works: MOFA

Taipei, July 10 (CNA) A visit to diplomatic allies by President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and possible stopover in the United States is currently being planned, said Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) Wednesday.

The minister made the comment when asked at a meeting with media.

The president will visit Taiwan's diplomatic allies, and in accordance with precedent, a stopover in the U.S. is part of the plan, Lin said, adding that an itinerary will be announced by the Presidential Office when confirmed.

It is election year in the U.S. and an evaluation is still being made as to how the president can make foreign visits "but at the same time not trigger unnecessary reactions," the foreign minister added.

He did not elaborate on a possible date.

The foreign minister also spoke on the solidity of the relationship between Taiwan and its 12 remaining diplomatic allies when asked whether China has intensified efforts to poach those allies since Lai's inauguration in May, after Nauru broke ties with Taiwan in January.

However, "there is no room to lower our guard," he said, stressing that the ministry is also looking through existing cooperation projects with each ally and adjusting them according to their needs.

Talking about non-diplomatic allies, Lin said Taiwan will continue to work with like-minded countries including the U.S. -- with whom Taiwan has its "best ever" relationship -- Japan, Canada, Australia, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

"Taiwan's foreign cooperation strategy will resemble a 'grid-like strategic structure,' going from bilateral cooperation to regional, multilateral ones," he added.

Lin also noted that there is a plan for Taiwan to be included in the U.S. defense supply chain as part of its friend-shoring policy.