TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) signaled for continued support from the incoming Donald Trump administration in a speech in Hawaii on Sunday (Dec. 1).
Lai arrived in Hawaii on Saturday for a two-day stop, per Reuters. The visit is part of a seven-day diplomatic mission to Pacific allies, his first since taking office, per The Wall Street Journal.
Although Taiwan has enjoyed support from President Joe Biden, Trump has launched criticisms against Taiwan. In July, he said Taiwan should pay for its own defense and accused Taiwan's chipmakers of stealing US jobs.
Presidential Office Spokesperson Kuo Ya-hui (郭雅慧) said Lai’s closed-door speech at the East-West Center Imin in Honolulu addressed these concerns and discussed Taiwan’s defense and democratic ties. Lai also promised deeper cooperation with the US in semiconductors.
National Taiwan University (NTU) Professor Lev Nachman said Lai has been consistent with his predecessor, Tsai Ing-Wen (蔡英文), in pursuing closer ties with the US.
“If there are people that were concerned about whether or not Lai would say something provocative, this is assurance that he’s probably not going to,” he said.
Meanwhile, China has condemned Lai’s Pacific visits. On Monday, Beijing’s foreign ministry denounced the recent arms sales to Taiwan, AP reported.
Lai arrived in the Marshall Islands on Tuesday. In addition to Tuvalu and Palau, he is expected to stop in Guam on Wednesday before returning to Taiwan.