Official mum on possible U.S. transit during Lai's South Pacific trip

Taipei, Nov. 22 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) will set out on an official visit to the South Pacific next week, Deputy Foreign Minister Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) said Friday, but declined to disclose whether the president would make a stopover in a U.S. territory.

Plans for the president's transit during the trip from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6 to the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau "are still being finalized," Tien told a news conference at the Presidential Office.

"At the moment [We are] unable to disclose" any information, Tien said, adding that the government will make an announcement "at an appropriate time."

The deputy minister was pressed several times by the media to provide more details about Lai's planned transit but remained tight-lipped, saying only that any arrangement would have to adhere to the principle of "safety, dignity and convenience."

According to information provided by the Presidential Office, Lai will embark on the seven-day trip in the afternoon of Nov. 30 and not arrive at his first Pacific destination, the Marshall Islands, until nearly three days later.

He will then have a very packed schedule from Dec. 3 to Dec. 6, making stops in the Marshall Islands, followed by Tuvalu and Palau, before wrapping up the tour and returning to Taiwan on Dec. 6.

Former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) traveled to the South Pacific twice during her two four-year tenures, in 2017 and 2019. Her 2017 trip included layovers in Honolulu, Hawaii and Guam.

Despite a lack of formal diplomatic relations, Washington has over the years allowed Taiwanese presidents to make stopovers on U.S. soil during their trips to visit Taiwan's diplomatic allies.

In addition, how they were received in the U.S. has often been interpreted by the media as indicating how Washington wants to handle relations with Taipei.

Speaking of Lai's upcoming visit to the South Pacific, Tien said the president would meet separately with the heads of government of the allies, including Marshallese President Hilda Heine, Tuvaluan Prime Minister Feleti Teo and Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr.

Lai will also address the Legislature of the Marshall Islands and meet with its speaker Brenson Wase, he said.

The deputy minister described the planned visit as timely, noting that both Heine and Teo took office earlier this year and Whipps was re-elected in early November.

Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said all three leaders of the Pacific allies attended Lai's inauguration in May, demonstrating their strong support for Taiwan.

To show Taiwan's commitment, Kuo added, Lai will lead a delegation on the tour with the hope of further consolidating the partnerships between Taiwan and its Pacific allies.

The Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau are the three remaining Pacific island states that diplomatically recognize Taipei instead of Beijing, and are among the 12 countries that continue to maintain formal relations with Taiwan, officially called the Republic of China.

Lai's delegation will include Secretary-General to the President Pan Men-an (潘孟安), Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), Deputy Health Minister Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀), and head of the Council of Indigenous Peoples Ljaucu Zingrur, among other officials, according to the Presidential Office.