Palau is among 12 nations that still recognise Taiwan's claim to statehood, after China convinced others to sever diplomatic relations with Taipei in favour of Beijing.
Lai's Pacific tour, which has included two stops on US soil, has drawn a barrage of criticism from China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes any international recognition of the island.
Lai arrived in Palau on Thursday after visiting the American territory Guam where he spoke with Republican US House Speaker Mike Johnson -- the highest-level US contact the Taiwanese leader has had during his week-long trip.
China bristles at any official contact between Taipei and Washington, which is Taiwan's most important backer and arms supplier.
A 2022 visit to Taiwan by then US House speaker Nancy Pelosi prompted China to launch military drills around the self-ruled island.
Beijing on Thursday urged the United States to "stop sending wrong signals" following the Lai-Johnson call, warning of the "serious danger that separatist acts of Taiwan independence pose to peace and security across the Taiwan Strait".
- Sea drills -
Taiwan faces the constant threat of a military attack by China, which regularly deploys fighter jets and warships around the island to press its claims, and Beijing has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control.
On Friday, Lai and his Palau counterpart Surangel Whipps Jr watched a joint rescue exercise involving the 4,000-tonne Yunlin, Taiwan's largest coast guard patrol ship in service, and two vessels donated by Taiwan to Palau.
As part of the drill, several people were plucked from the water and brought for treatment to the Yunlin, which is equipped with an operating room, X-ray machine and other medical equipment.
Earlier, Lai attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new "one-stop" government services building in Palau that Taiwan helped fund.
Lai hailed the building project "a model of successful bilateral cooperation" and said the Taiwan-Palau alliance was "rock solid".
Whipps thanked Lai for visiting Palau, and said it was "important that the world sees how Taiwan works" as a partner in development and combating climate change.
China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949, when Chiang Kai-shek's nationalist forces were defeated by Mao Zedong's communist fighters and fled to the island.
In his first public speech of the trip in the US state of Hawaii, Lai said Saturday there was a need to "fight together to prevent war", warning there were "no winners" from conflict.
From Palau, Lai will fly to Taipei on Friday, wrapping up a trip that also included visits to Taiwan's other Pacific island allies the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu.
Taiwan's Lai has call with US House Speaker Johnson
Hagatna, Guam (AFP) Dec 5, 2024 -
President Lai Ching-te spoke Thursday to Republican US House Speaker Mike Johnson, the Taiwanese leader's office said as he visits the American territory Guam during a Pacific tour that has angered China.
Taiwan calls itself a sovereign nation, but Beijing insists the democratic island is part of its territory and opposes any official exchanges with it.
Lai's office said he spoke to Johnson on Thursday morning Guam time, the most high-level US contact the Taiwanese leader has had during his Pacific tour.
A 2022 visit to Taiwan by then US House speaker Nancy Pelosi prompted China to launch military drills around the self-ruled island.
The president also had calls with Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee.
They "conveyed the strong bipartisan support of the US Congress in assisting Taiwan in defending democracy and freedom," the president's office said.
Like most countries, the United States does not have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but Washington is Taipei's most important backer and biggest supplier of arms.
Lai's Pacific trip, and in particular his US stops, have drawn a barrage of criticism from Beijing, which rejects any international recognition of Taiwan.
Beijing on Thursday urged the US to "stop sending wrong signals" following the Lai-Johnson call.
"We urge the United States to clearly recognise the serious danger that separatist acts of Taiwan independence pose to peace and security across the Taiwan Strait," a foreign ministry spokesman said.
- 'Rock solid partnership' -
During a two-day visit to the US state of Hawaii at the beginning of the tour, Lai discussed "China's military threats" towards Taiwan in a 20-minute call with Pelosi and met with US government officials and members of Congress.
Lai's week-long tour is aimed at shoring up international support for Taiwan as China maintains military pressure on the island and seeks to isolate it by poaching its few remaining allies and blocking it from global forums.
Lai arrived in Guam on Wednesday following visits to Pacific island nations Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands, after the stop in Hawaii.
Speaking at a banquet in the capital Hagatna on Thursday, Lai hailed the "deep connections" and "rock solid partnership" between Taiwan and the United States.
"Together, we are good partners in defending democracy, freedom and prosperity for both sides," Lai told an audience that included Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero.
Ingrid Larson, from the Washington office of the American Institute in Taiwan, which serves as a de facto US embassy to the island, also attended.
Lai also called on the world's democracies to "not bow down to authoritarian regimes" as he hailed Taiwan as "the beacon of democracy of Asia."
At the banquet, Larson said the United States would keep helping Taiwan "bolster its self-defense capabilities" and its "ability to protect itself against coercion".
- 'Sincerest gratitude' -
Lai also addressed the Guam parliament -- a first for a Taiwanese president, his office said -- before flying to the Pacific island nation of Palau, the final stop of his trip.
Extending his "sincerest gratitude" to lawmakers for supporting Taiwan's access to the international arena, Lai said Taiwan and Guam were "like family".
Palau, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands are among 12 nations that still recognise Taiwan diplomatically, including the Vatican, after China convinced others to dump Taipei in favour of Beijing.
Lai's Pacific tour has sparked fury in China, which on Tuesday vowed to defend its "national sovereignty" and "territorial integrity".
China regularly deploys fighter jets and warships around the island to press its claims, and Beijing has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control.
- Military drills -
In his first public speech of the trip on US soil, Lai said Saturday there was a need to "fight together to prevent war", warning there were "no winners" from conflict.
Lai's call with Johnson would have "positive implications" for Taiwan's ties with the incoming Trump administration, said Su Tzu-yun, a military expert at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research.
But analysts were divided on whether China would launch another round of military exercises around the island.
Lai's predecessor Tsai Ing-wen met then-US House speaker Kevin McCarthy in California in April 2023 during a Latin America trip, to which Beijing responded with military drills.
China also held large-scale exercises after Lai's inauguration in May and following his National Day speech on October 10.
"I believe the probability is relatively low because there's already fatigue from overusing such responses," said Li Da-jung, an international relations expert at Tamkang University.
Stephen Tan, a Taipei-based analyst on Taiwan-China relations, said drills were "likely", but their "intensity remains to be observed".
Related Links
Taiwan News at SinoDaily.com
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
