Vice President Lai on his way to South America
Because of stopover in New York: China threatens Taiwan with “energetic” reaction
Today, 08/13/2023 | 10:45
Despite a clear warning from the Chinese government, Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai left for Paraguay on Saturday. Before leaving, he expressed his anticipation of meeting US friends during a stopover in New York. He announced this on the online platform X, previously known as Twitter. However, details of his stay in the USA were not mentioned.
The Chinese government is watching Lai’s visit to the US closely and has promised “firm and forceful” measures. Although Lai is officially only making a stopover in the US on his way to Paraguay, where he will attend the inauguration of newly elected President Santiago Peña, the Chinese Foreign Ministry claims that the US and Taiwan are facilitating clandestine political activities for Lai.
Paraguay recognizes Taiwan as an independent state
Lai himself stated before his departure that during his trip to Paraguay he would like to hold talks with political leaders from different countries and meet delegations from like-minded countries. It is noteworthy that Paraguay is the only South American country to recognize Taiwan as an independent state. China, on the other hand, regards Taiwan as part of its territory and wants reunification, if necessary by force.
William Lai, the 63-year-old party leader of the DPP who is also positioning himself as the 2024 presidential candidate, has not fared well in China for his support for Taiwan independence. He stressed in January that Taiwan “is a sovereign state and no longer needs to declare its independence.”
2023-08-13 08:45:00
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