Trump administration told Taiwan president to avoid New York stopover
Advertisement
Confirmation of Lai's travels would have riled China, which held trade negotiations with Trump's team in Stockholm this week. China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and sees the United States' support for Taiwan as meddling in a domestic issue. Beijing routinely objects to Taiwanese leaders' visits abroad, particularly to the US.
Matthew Pottinger, who was the longest-serving deputy national security adviser in the first Trump administration, criticized the apparent decision by US officials to 'bend over backwards' in the face of Chinese objections to transit stops by the Taiwanese leader. He noted that such visits were common during the first Trump term — he had met with the Taiwanese president on a visit to New York — and during the Biden administration.
Advertisement
'Beijing will pocket this concession and ask for more,' Pottinger said.
According to two officials familiar with the planning, Lai called off the trip after Trump administration officials told him to revise his itinerary for the US, specifically to forgo the visit to New York, which was viewed as more high-profile. The news about the Trump administration's objections to Lai's travel plans was earlier reported by The Financial Times.
On Monday evening, Lai's spokesperson, Karen Kuo, said the president had no plans to travel soon. Lai needed to focus on dealing with damage in southern Taiwan from a typhoon, as well as trade talks with the Trump administration, Kuo said. She said the reports of US obstructions were 'inaccurate' and 'purely speculative.'
While Lai's office had never publicly confirmed the trip, three Taiwanese officials had in recent days and weeks privately described his plans to stop in New York and Dallas as part of his travels to Paraguay, Guatemala, and Belize, three of Taiwan's diplomatic partners in Latin America.
David Sacks, a fellow in Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations who specializes in US-Taiwan relations, pointed out that such US stops were coordinated with Washington. 'The idea that Taiwan would plan a trip for its president to visit three of its diplomatic partners while transiting through the United States, all without approval from senior American officials, strains credulity,' he said.
Advertisement
The White House National Security Council did not reply to a request for comment. Tammy Bruce, a State Department spokesperson, told reporters Tuesday that because Taiwan had not announced any travel plans by Lai, any discussion about it was 'a hypothetical.'
Lai's predecessor as president, Tsai Ing-wen, visited New York in 2023, during the Biden administration.
Tsai also met in California with Kevin McCarthy, then the speaker of the House, the third-ranking post in the US government. That was the highest-level in-person meeting for a leader of Taiwan in the United States since Washington switched diplomatic relations from Taiwan to the People's Republic of China in 1979.
The United States maintains political, economic, and security ties with Taiwan, and allows the island's president to make stops on the way to and from other countries — but Washington has sometimes set limits. In 2006, President Chen Shui-bian canceled a plan to travel through the United States after Washington denied him permission to stop in New York.
Taiwanese officials had made arrangements for Lai to give a speech in New York, and he was expected to attend an exhibition of Taiwanese technology and products in Dallas, according to two researchers who had heard about the plans from diplomats.
Asked about the reports that the Trump administration had blocked Lai's plans for visiting the US this time, a spokesperson for the Chinese government's Taiwan affairs office reiterated that Beijing 'adamantly opposes' any such visits at any time.
This article originally appeared in
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
"Never Has America Been More Vulnerable" — People Are Horrified After RFK Jr. Announced He's Cutting $500 Million In Funding For mRNA Vaccines
I'm not sure if you've heard, but everyone's least favorite Health and Human Services Secretary, RFK Jr., recently announced that he's cancelling $500 million in funding for mRNA vaccine development. mRNA vaccines, which stand for messenger ribonucleic acid (RNA), are "highly effective" and "safe," according to the National Council on Aging, a nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of older adults in the US. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the mRNA vaccine helps teach your body to fight infectious diseases. More specifically, mRNA technology is utilized in the COVID-19 vaccine, which infectious disease experts say is what helped to slow the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak in the US. In a now-viral X video, RFK Jr. tried to explain the funding cuts saying, "HHS has determined that mRNA technology poses more risk than benefits for these respiratory viruses." Twitter: @SecKennedy According to CBS News, RFK Jr. reiterated that "HHS supports safe, effective vaccines for every American who wants them." Related: In response to the news, Mike Osterholm, a University of Minnesota expert on infectious diseases and pandemic preparations, recently said, "I don't think I've seen a more dangerous decision in public health in my 50 years in the business." Following these vaccine funding cuts, millions have expressed deep concern for the future of medicine, as well as the impact of future pandemics in the US. Here's how medical professionals, lawmakers, and citizens are reacting: Commonly, people threw some personal digs at RFK Jr., with one person calling him a "despicable quack." ...and a pediatric MD calling him an "anti-vaxx weirdo." Related: While other medical professionals directly contradicted RFK Jr.'s claims about the mRNA vaccine, calling them "simply false." And called out RFK Jr.'s "fundamental misunderstanding of immunology." Another infectious disease doctor argued that RFK Jr.'s decision came from "ideology" and "online anti vax talking points." Related: And this medical professional and health writer called mRNA vaccines "one of the most important tools we have for preventing future pandemics." Another person expressed their anger about "throwing away" years of research: Even politicians have weighed in, with Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock calling the funding cuts a "tragedy." Related: "Whatever your reason for not voting or voting 3rd party, I promise it wasn't worth destroying our country over," this person wrote. And this person made a scary observation, writing: "A diseased population is easier to control..." And finally, this Reddit user summed up what many are feeling: "Imagine being so privileged to have lived in a tiny slice of human history when MILLIONS of people have been spared from pyrogens at the hands of vaccines……only to be somehow convinced the answer to the threat humanity faces going forward is to stop researching the most proven and effective medicine mankind has ever known." What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below. Also in In the News: Also in In the News: Also in In the News:
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump plans to meet with Putin as soon as next week, New York Times reports
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump plans to meet in person with Russian President Vladimir Putin as early as next week, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing two people familiar with the plan. Trump then plans to meet with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the newspaper reported, adding that the plans were disclosed in a call with European leaders on Wednesday. The White House did not immediately respond to the report but earlier on Wednesday Trump acknowledged that he spoke with European leaders after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff's "highly productive" meeting with Putin in Russia. While noting that "great progress" was made during the meeting, Trump wrote on Truth Social: "Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come." Trump, who promised to end Russia's war in Ukraine on "day one" during his presidential campaign, has held several phone calls with Putin and has met with Zelenskiy since returning to the White House in January. However, in recent weeks, he has become increasingly frustrated with Moscow over a lack of progress towards ending the three-year conflict.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Here's the Salary You Need So You Are Not Just Surviving in America's 50 Biggest Cities
There's getting by in the big city, and there's living comfortably. There's also how you define 'comfortably' when it comes to your annual income. Read Next: Find Out: Bringing in twice the average annual cost of living is one measure. Among the 50 most populous U.S. cities, that means making anywhere from $63,000 a year to $280,000. To give you an idea of how much you'll need to live comfortably in each of these cities, GOBankingRates has blended data from the U.S. Census, Zillow, and the Federal Reserve. The comfortable salary needed for each city has been calculated by doubling the cost of living. Here's a list of the 50 most populous U.S. cities, counting down from No. 50 to No. 1. In addition to the salary needed to live comfortably, we've included population, the average annual cost of living, and other details for each city: 50. Aurora, Colorado Population: 390,201 Annual cost of living: $59,176 Comfortable salary needed: $118,351 You'll find Aurora just east of Denver. As of May 2025, a single-family home here is worth about $500,000 on average. Learn More: Check Out: 49. Tampa, Florida Population: 393,389 Annual cost of living: $51,976 Comfortable salary needed: $103,953 You can still find single-family homes in Tampa for less than $400,000, with the average value sitting at $395,000 as of earlier this year. The median household income of around $71,000 is significantly lower than the 'comfortable' salary of about $104,000. Try This: 48. Arlington, Texas Population: 394,769 Annual cost of living: $46,645 Comfortable salary needed: $93,290 The seventh most populous city in Texas, Arlington has a median household income of $72,000 a year. Single-family homes here are worth $321,000 on average, slightly less than nearby Dallas. 47. Wichita, Kansas Population: 396,488 Annual cost of living: $36,221 Comfortable salary needed: $72,443 Single-family homes in Wichita will cost you less than most of the other cities in our list, with average values coming in around $200,000. Wichita's household median income sits around $63,000 a year. 46. Bakersfield, California Population: 408,366 Annual cost of living: $51,677 Comfortable salary needed: $103,354 Bakersfield gets a livability score of just 57 from AreaVibes, second lowest among the cities in this list. A single-family home here is still worth about $400,000 on average, and the median household income sits at $77,000. Bakersfield gets a livability score of just 57 from AreaVibes, second lowest among the cities in this list. A single-family home here is still worth about $400,000 on average, and the median household income sits at $77,000. 45. Tulsa, Oklahoma Population: 412,322 Annual cost of living: $37,755 Comfortable salary needed: $75,511 Among the 50 most populous cities in the U.S., Tulsa is the only city that showed a slight decrease in percentage of residents age 65+, between 2022 and 2023. Tulsa's household median income comes in around $58,000. 44. Minneapolis Population: 426,845 Annual cost of living: $47,579 Comfortable salary needed: $95,158 Minnesota's most populous city has a median household income around $80,000. The average single-family home here is worth $358,000. For You: 43. Oakland, California Population: 438,072 Annual cost of living: $84,401 Comfortable salary needed: $168,802 The average value of single-family homes in Oakland has dipped by about $70,000 over the past year, the largest decrease among major U.S. cities. That average value still sits at $829,000, however. The median household income here is $97,000. 42. Miami Population: 446,663 Annual cost of living: $73,432 Comfortable salary needed: $146,863 As of last May, a single-family home in Miami is worth around $667,000. The median household income here comes in around $59,000, significantly lower than the average annual cost of living. 41. Virginia Beach, Virginia Population: 457,066 Annual cost of living: $53,483 Comfortable salary needed: $106,966 Virginia Beach saw a small population decline between 2022 and 2023. The median household income here is $92,000. 40. Long Beach, California Population: 458,491 Annual cost of living: $91,653 Comfortable salary needed: $183,305 Long Beach's percentage of residents age 65 and up ticked up 0.7% between 2022 and 2023 — the largest increase in our list. The median household income here is around $84,000. 39. Raleigh, North Carolina Population: 470,763 Annual cost of living: $54,114 Comfortable salary needed: $108,228 Raleigh gets a livability score of 84 from AreaVibes, tied for the highest among the 50 most populous U.S. cities. As of last May, the average single-family home here was worth $484,000. Trending Now: 38. Colorado Springs, Colorado Population: 483,099 Annual cost of living: $54,413 Comfortable salary needed: $108,827 You'll find Colorado Springs about 70 miles south of Denver in central Colorado. The median household income in Colorado Springs is $83,000, around $8,000 less than Denver. 37. Omaha, Nebraska Population: 488,197 Annual cost of living: $43,496 Comfortable salary needed: $86,991 You can still find single-family homes for less than $300,000 in Omaha, with average values sitting at $295,000 as of last May. Omaha's median household income is $73,000. 36. Atlanta Population: 499,287 Annual cost of living: $56,838 Comfortable salary needed: $113,676 The capital of Georgia — and the unofficial capital of the South — has a household median income of $82,000. Single-family homes here are worth $456,000 on average. 35. Mesa, Arizona Population: 507,478 Annual cost of living: $55,442 Comfortable salary needed: $110,884 Fast-growing Mesa saw a 17 percent increase in population age 65+ from 2022 to 2023, the second highest jump among the cities in our list. The median household income in Mesa is around $79,000, and the average single-family home is valued at $454,000. 34. Kansas City, Missouri Population: 508,233 Annual cost of living: $40,452 Comfortable salary needed: $80,905 Single-family homes in Kansas City are relatively affordable compared to most of the other cities in our list, with average values of just over $250,000. Kansas City's median household income is about $67,000. Explore More: 33. Sacramento, California Population: 524,802 Annual cost of living: $60,000 Comfortable salary needed: $120,000 California's capital city has a median household income of $84,000. The average value of single-family homes here ($497,000) is much lower than it is in the state's other major cities. 32. Tucson, Arizona Population: 543,348 Annual cost of living: $45,904 Comfortable salary needed: $91,808 Tucson's household median income is $55,000, the fourth lowest among the 50 most populous U.S. cities. A single-family home in Tucson is valued at $342,000 on average. 31. Fresno, California Population: 543,615 Annual cost of living: $51,638 Comfortable salary needed: $103,276 AreaVibes gives Fresno a livability score of 63, the second lowest among the 50 most populous U.S. cities. Still, its population ticked up 0.4% between 2022 and 2023. 30. Albuquerque, New Mexico Population: 562,488 Annual cost of living: $45,349 Comfortable salary needed: $90,698 Just over 17% of Albuquerque's residents are age 65 and up, the third highest percentage among the cities in our list. The median household income here comes in at $66,000. 29. Milwaukee Population: 569,756 Annual cost of living: $38,219 Comfortable salary needed: $76,438 Among the 50 most populous U.S. cities, Milwaukee has the third-lowest household median income — $52,000. Single-family homes in Milwaukee are worth $221,000 on average, and the median household income is around $52,000. Be Aware: 28. Baltimore Population: 577,193 Annual cost of living: $37,306 Comfortable salary needed: $74,612 Baltimore's population declined 1.3% between 2022 and 2023, the second largest drop among the cities in our list. As of last May, the average value of a single-family home in Baltimore was $187,000. 27. Memphis, Tennessee Population: 629,063 Annual cost of living: $32,690 Comfortable salary needed: $65,381 Memphis has the second-lowest median household income ($51,000) among the 50 most populous U.S. cities. Its 'comfortable' salary is the second lowest in our list. 26. Detroit Population: 636,644 Annual cost of living: $31,609 Comfortable salary needed: $63,217 Detroit's household median income of $40,000 is the lowest among the 50 most populous U.S. cities, and its 'comfortable' salary is the lowest in GBR's list. Single-family homes in the Motor City are valued at $78,000 on average. 25. Portland, Oregon Population: 642,715 Annual cost of living: $64,008 Comfortable salary needed: $128,016 The average value of a single-family home in Oregon's largest city comes in around $570,000. Portland's median household income is $89,000. 24. Las Vegas Population: 650,873 Annual cost of living: $57,400 Comfortable salary needed: $114,800 Las Vegas saw a population increase of about 1% from 2022 to 2023. The average value of a single-family home here was $462,000 as of last May. Read More: 23. Boston Population: 663,972 Annual cost of living: $86,439 Comfortable salary needed: $172,878 The median household income in Massachusetts' capital city is $95,000. Single-family homes in Boston are worth $859,000 on average. 22. Washington, D.C. Population: 672,079 Annual cost of living: $80,645 Comfortable salary needed: $161,289 The nation's capital has the fourth highest median household income in this list, coming in at $106,000. Single-family homes here are worth $772,000 on average. 21. El Paso, Texas Population: 678,147 Annual cost of living: $38,249 Comfortable salary needed: $76,497 Single-family homes in El Paso are worth $232,000 on average, one of the lowest figures among the 50 most populous U.S. cities. El Paso's median household income is $59,000. 20. Oklahoma City Population: 688,693 Annual cost of living: $37,609 Comfortable salary needed: $75,219 Single-family homes in Oklahoma City are relatively inexpensive compared to other major U.S. cities, with average values at $208,000. Oklahoma City's median household income sits at $67,000. 19. Denver Population: 713,734 Annual cost of living: $65,461 Comfortable salary needed: $130,921 The Mile High City has a median household income of $92,000. The average value of a single-family home in Denver has inched above $600,000. Consider This: 18. Seattle Population: 741,440 Annual cost of living: $92,061 Comfortable salary needed: $184,122 The average value of a single-family home in Seattle has reached $969,000 — the fifth highest among the 50 most populous U.S. cities. Seattle's median household income is $122,000. 17. San Francisco Population: 836,321 Annual cost of living: $129,872 Comfortable salary needed: $259,745 Famously expensive San Francisco has the second highest 'comfortable' salary needed in our list, along with the second highest median household income ($141,000). Single-family homes here are worth a whopping $1.4M on average. The City by the Bay saw a population decrease of 1.7% between 2022 and 2023 — the steepest drop among the 50 most populous U.S. cities. 16. Indianapolis Population: 882,043 Annual cost of living: $38,606 Comfortable salary needed: $77,212 As of last May, the average value of a single-family home in Indiana's capital stood at $238,000. The median household income in Indianapolis comes in around $63,000. 15. Charlotte, North Carolina Population: 886,283 Annual cost of living: $51,765 Comfortable salary needed: $103,530 North Carolina's largest city saw a 1.3% population bump between 2022 and 2023. The average value of a single-family home here is $414,000, and the median household income is $78,000. 14. Columbus, Ohio Population: 906,480 Annual cost of living: $41,226 Comfortable salary needed: $82,452 Ohio's capital has an average single-family home value of $273,000 and a median household income of $66,000. Learn More: 13. Fort Worth, Texas Population: 941,311 Annual cost of living: $45,555 Comfortable salary needed: $91,110 Fort Worth's population jumped nearly 2% between 2022 and 2023, the largest increase among the cities in our list. The average value of a single-family home in Fort Worth is just over $300,000. 12. Jacksonville, Florida Population: 961,739 Annual cost of living: $44,731 Comfortable salary needed: $89,462 Jacksonville's AreaVibes livability score of 84 is tied for the highest in our list. The household median income here is $67,000, and the average single-family home is valued at just over $300,000. 11. Austin, Texas Population: 967,862 Annual cost of living: $62,863 Comfortable salary needed: $125,726 Austin is a young city, with only about 10% of its population age 65 and up. That's the lowest percentage among cities in this list. Single-family homes in Austin are worth $592,000 on average — about $35,000 less than a year ago. 10. San Jose, California Population: 990,054 Annual cost of living: $140,115 Comfortable salary needed: $280,229 Among the most populous U.S. cities, it doesn't get much more expensive than San Jose. This Silicon Valley city tops our list for annual cost of living, 'comfortable' salary needed, median household income ($142,000), and average single-family home value ($1.6M). 9. Dallas Population: 1,299,553 Annual cost of living: $47,589 Comfortable salary needed: $95,177 'Big D' is the third most populous city in Texas, trailing only San Antonio and Houston. Single-family homes in Dallas are worth $332,000 on average, and the median household income is $68,000. Check Out: 8. San Diego Population: 1,385,061 Annual cost of living: $106,761 Comfortable salary needed: $213,522 Sunny San Diego's 'comfortable' salary is the third-highest among the 50 most populous U.S. cities. Single-family homes here are worth $1.2M on average. 7. San Antonio Population: 1,458,954 Annual cost of living: $40,362 Comfortable salary needed: $80,724 San Antonio's median household income sits at $63,000. The average single-family home here is valued at $258,000. 6. Philadelphia Population: 1,582,432 Annual cost of living: $42,610 Comfortable salary needed: $85,220 Philadelphia saw a population decrease of 0.7% between 2022 and 2023. The household median income here comes in around $61,000. 5. Phoenix Population: 1,624,832 Annual cost of living: $54,082 Comfortable salary needed: $108,164 Arizona's capital saw a population increase of about 1% from 2022 to 2023. Its median household income sits at $77,000, and single-family homes here are valued at $429,000 on average. 4. Houston Population: 2,300,419 Annual cost of living: $43,438 Comfortable salary needed: $86,876 Sprawling Houston, one of four U.S. cities with a population over 2 million, has a median household income of $63,000. As of last May, single-family homes in Houston were worth $278,000 on average. Read More: 3. Chicago Population: 2,707,648 Annual cost of living: $46,725 Comfortable salary needed: $93,450 The Windy City's median household income comes in around $75,000. Single-family homes in Chicago are worth $315,000 on average. 2. Los Angeles Population: 3,857,897 Annual cost of living: $100,266 Comfortable salary needed: $200,532 The nation' second-most populous city gets a livability score of 67 from AreaVibes, the third-lowest score in our list. A single-family home in LA is still worth $1M on average. 1. New York Population: 8,516,202 Annual cost of living: $92,576 Comfortable salary needed: $185,152 New York City's 1.2% population decline between 2022 and 2023 was the third highest among the 50 most populous U.S. cities. The Big Apple's average annual cost of living (about $93,000) is significantly higher than its median household income ($80,000). Ashleigh Ray and Sydney Champion contributed to the reporting for this article. Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed the 50 largest U.S. cities by population and determined the salary needed to live comfortably in each location. GBR determined the top 50 cities by population using the U.S. Census American Community Survey (the most recent available). Using the same survey, GBR sourced 2023 and 2022 data for the total population, population age 65 and over, total households, and household median income. One-year changes in percent and amount were calculated for each variable. The single-family home value was sourced from the Zillow Home Value Index from May 2025 and May 2024. By assuming a 10% downpayment and using the national 30-year fixed mortgage rate of 6.75 as sourced on July 21 from Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average mortgage cost was calculated. With the average mortgage cost and average expenditure cost, the average total cost of living was calculated for each city. Using the 50/30/20 rule, which states that needs should not exceed 50% of total household income, the total cost of living was doubled to find the comfortable cost of living. The cities were then sorted to show the largest one-year increase in total population. All data is up to date as of July 21, 2025. More From GOBankingRates How Far $750K Plus Social Security Goes in Retirement in Every US Region This article originally appeared on Here's the Salary You Need So You Are Not Just Surviving in America's 50 Biggest Cities Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
