Exclusive: Taiwan's Lai set to push back U.S. stopover as U.S.-China trade talks continue, sources say

Reuters ^ | 7/29 | Trevor Hunnicutt and Yimou Lee

[mac_truck]

WASHINGTON/TAIPEI, July 28 (Reuters) - Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te is set to delay a diplomatically sensitive trip his team had floated to the Trump administration for August that would have included stops in the United States, according to three people familiar with the matter. Such a trip was bound to infuriate Beijing at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to negotiate a deal on trade with China. China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a claim Taiwan rejects, and regularly denounces any shows of support for Taipei from Washington.

The trip, which could have included visits to Guatemala, Belize and Paraguay, was never formally confirmed but had been discussed with the governments involved, according to a person familiar with the matter. Lai had considered stopping in New York and Dallas on the way to and from Latin America. Lai is set to delay the trip until at least later this year for a handful of reasons, including the need to organize his government's response to extreme weather in Taiwan, one of the sources said. Two of the sources also pinned the delay on the ongoing U.S. tariff talks with Taipei and Beijing, respectively. Top U.S. and Chinese economic officials huddled in Stockholm, Sweden, on Monday to resume talks.

[mac_truck]

Is Trump kowtowing to the Chinese by not allowing Taiwan's President to visit in August, even for a stopover? 🤔

[Sacajaweau]

Whatever Trump’s reason...I trust his judgement a hell of a lot more than I trust the media with their “judgements”.

[Williams]

I hate references to “infuriating” the Chinese.
No such thing happens. They are dictatorial thugs and they push their propaganda agenda. The communists don’t get mad, they just exploit.

Sadly, no one wants to tell them to take their One China policy and shove it. You’re just helping them edge closer to an attack on Taiwan.

[ifinnegan]

“ Is Trump kowtowing to the Chinese by not allowing Taiwan’s President to visit in August, even for a stopover? ”

Yeah.

But let’s wait and see how it plays out.

Lai is not complaining for a reason. He says the trip was not even scheduled.

[FreeReign]

Whatever Trump’s reason...I trust his judgement a hell of a lot more than I trust the media with their “judgements”.

Did Trump actually say he didn't want Lai to visit?

I wouldn't be surprise if Trump told Lai in private to wait after the China trade negotiations.

But this sounds like big corupt media trying to sabotage Trump's China trade negotiations and his relationship with Taiwan.

[FreeReign]

Lai is not complaining for a reason. He says the trip was not even scheduled.

Interesting that Lai said that.

[Midwesterner53]

Very disappointing letting China decide who visits this country.

[ifinnegan]

I think his spokesman said it, I’m not sure he himself said anything about it.

“ President William Lai (賴清德) currently has no plans to travel overseas, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said yesterday, denying media reports that a planned trip to Paraguay via New York was blocked by the US.

At a routine news conference, Hsiao denied a Financial Times report that said Lai’s planned visits to diplomatic allies Paraguay, Guatemala and Belize had been delayed or canceled due to US President Donald Trump blocking a stopover in New York following protests from China.

The Financial Times, which cited three anonymous sources for its story, said that Trump was concerned that Lai’s trip would affect ongoing trade talks between the US and China.”

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2025/07/30/2003841147