TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Trump administration has reportedly denied Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te permission to stop in New York during his planned trip to Central America. This refusal, reported by Anadolu and ABC Australia on Monday, is attributed to opposition from China.
Lai had initially planned to make a transit stop in New York during his August trip, which included official visits to Paraguay, Guatemala, and Belize.
U.S. officials informed Lai that he would not be able to stop in New York en route to the region, citing three anonymous sources familiar with the matter.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Lai's office stated he has no immediate plans to leave Taiwan, as the island is still recovering from a recent typhoon.
"There's no such thing as canceling the trip," said a person with direct knowledge of the matter, who added that potential stopovers would likely include Texas and other US mainland cities. "In fact, further arrangements for the trip will be made later this year."
Earlier on Monday, a spokesperson for Taiwan's Presidential Office, Karen Kuo, said that once the president's overseas travel plans are finalized, they would be announced to the public in a timely manner.
"However, considering the recent typhoon disaster recovery efforts in southern Taiwan, the U.S.–Taiwan reciprocal tariff measures and regional developments, the president currently has no plans for overseas visits in the near future," Kuo stated.
Another source, however, indicated that Lai changed his travel plans after being informed he would not be permitted to stop in New York.
China has consistently protested visits by Taiwanese leaders to the United States. It remains unclear whether Lai was denied a stop solely in New York or across any U.S. territory.
Former President Joe Biden previously drew strong criticism from Beijing when he allowed former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to stop in New York in 2023 during her visit to Latin America.
Lai's reported rejection comes amid sensitive trade negotiations between the U.S. and China, where the world's two largest economies are seeking to negotiate an end to their escalating trade war. This also precedes a potential meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and regularly denounces any form of Washington's support for Taipei. Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, asserting that only the island's people can determine their future.
The trip, which was speculated to include stops in New York and Dallas en route to and from Latin America, was never officially confirmed but had been discussed with relevant governments, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Lai reportedly plans to postpone the trip until at least the end of the year for several reasons, including the need to manage his government's response to extreme weather in Taiwan, one source noted. Two other sources also linked the delay to ongoing US tariff negotiations with Taipei and Beijing.
China faces an August 12 deadline to reach a sustainable tariff deal with the Trump administration, following weeks of escalating tariffs and a blockade on rare earth metals. Without a deal, global supply chains could face renewed turmoil due to a triple-digit increase in U.S. tariffs, potentially amounting to a bilateral trade embargo.
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