Taiwan denies President Lai was blocked from US stopover
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Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has reportedly canceled his trip to Paraguay following reports of banning him from stopping over on US soil.
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Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te speaks at a press conference after a security meeting about US President Trump's tariffs on trade partners and semiconductors at the Presidential office in Taipei, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 (AP)
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has not been blocked from visiting the United States and has no plans for overseas travel in the near future, the Taipei Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.
The Foreign Ministry's statement followed reports that US President Donald Trump's administration had refused to grant Lai permission to transit through New York during an official trip to Latin America planned for next month.
While Lai’s office has never confirmed any travel plans, Paraguay, Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in South America, announced in mid-July that he would visit within 30 days, a trip that would likely require transiting through US territory.
Bloomberg News previously reported that Lai had planned to stopover in New York and Dallas during a trip next month to Paraguay and Central American allies Guatemala and Belize.
"There has been no postponement, cancellation, nor any denial of permission for the transit by the US side," Hsiao Kuang-wei, Taiwanese Foreign Minsitry spokesperson, told reporters in Taipei, adding, "Given the ongoing post-disaster recovery efforts in southern Taiwan, the ongoing reciprocal tariff negotiations with the US, and the relevant international situation, the president has no plans for overseas visits in the near future."
The Financial Times reported Tuesday, citing unnamed sources, that the Trump administration denied Lai permission to stop over in New York after objections from Beijing, prompting him to cancel the trip once he was informed he would not be allowed entry.
Pelosi condemns stopover ban
Reacting to the Financial Times report, former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the move a dangerous signal and said the Trump administration had handed Chinese President Xi a victory by blocking Taiwan’s president from transiting through New York. She said the decision undermined US values, security, and interests in the process, in a Facebook post.
"Let us hope President Trump's denial of this stopover in New York is not indicative of a dangerous change in US policy on Taiwan," Pelosi added.
A spokesperson for Washington's de facto embassy in Taiwan refused to address what was described as a hypothetical situation, noting that no official travel plans for Lai had been announced by Taipei. The spokesperson additionally emphasized that the transit of senior Taiwanese officials, including presidents, aligns with established US policy and remains unchanged.
