By Angie Teo and Ann Wang
TAOYUAN, Taiwan (Reuters) – Taiwan is a key force for promoting global peace and stability, President Lai Ching-te said as he left for Hawaii on Saturday as part of a Pacific tour, thanking the United States for allowing him to stop over.
China, which views the democratically governed island as its own territory, has been stepping up military pressure against Taiwan, including two rounds of war games this year.
Security sources have told Reuters that Beijing may hold more to coincide with Lai’s Pacific tour, which includes stopovers in Hawaii and Guam, a U.S. territory.
Speaking to reporters at Taiwan’s main international airport outside of Taipei, Lai said: “Thank you to the U.S. government for upholding the principles of safety, dignity, comfort and convenience for helping the smooth process of this trip.”
Lai is stopping in Hawaii for the first two nights, before going to Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau, three of the 12 countries which retain formal diplomatic ties with Taipei and a part of the world where China has been exerting ever stronger influence.
Taiwan presidents often make use of what are officially only stopovers in the United States to meet friendly U.S. politicians and give speeches. Such stopovers are typically on visits to far flung allies in the Pacific, Latin America or the Caribbean.
“This trip is the beginning of a new era of value-based diplomacy. Democracy, prosperity, and peace are the expectations of the people of Taiwan, and they are also the values that I, as president, must actively promote,” Lai said.
“I will continue to expand cooperation and deepen our partnership with our allies and friends based on the values of democracy, peace, and prosperity, so that the world can see that Taiwan is not only a model of democracy, but also a key force in promoting global peace, stability, and prosperity.”
Hawaii and Guam are home to major U.S. military bases.
A few hours before Lai’s departure, the United States announced a new arms sale package for Taiwan, of spare parts for F-16 jets and radars for an estimated $385 million.
China on Friday urged the United States to exercise “utmost caution” in its relations with Taiwan.
The State Department said it saw no justification for what it called a private, routine and unofficial transit by Lai to be used as a pretext for provocation.
This is Lai’s first foreign trip since taking office in May. He returns to Taiwan on Friday.
Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and says it has a right to engage with the world and for its leaders to travel abroad.