Taiwan’s Lai arrives in Hawaii for 2-day US stop on way to South Pacific

Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te arrived Saturday in Hawaii to begin a two-day transit in the US as part of a trip to the South Pacific, his first since assuming office.

The stopover in Hawaii and one planned for the territory of Guam have drawn fierce criticism from Beijing, which sees Taiwan as part of China and objects to official exchanges between it and the US, the island’s biggest backer and military provider.

Lai was greeted at a Honolulu hotel by supporters who cheered in Mandarin, some waving Taiwanese flags. He was expected to visit a museum and attend a banquet with supporters.

Lai is on a week-long trip to visit the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau – three diplomatic allies of the self-governed island in the Pacific.

“I want to use the values of democracy, peace, and prosperity to continue to expand our cooperation with our allies, to deepen our partnership and let the world see Taiwan not just as a model of democracy, but a vital power in promoting the world’s peace and stability, and prosperous development,” he said at Taoyuan International Airport before his departure.

Though Taiwan retains strong contacts with dozens of other nations, it has only 12 formal diplomatic allies. The self-ruled democracy has recently been facing increasing pressure from China.