US stopover by Taiwan's president cancelled; Trump mulls China trip: Report
Lai was preparing to visit Paraguay, Guatemala and Belize in early August, with stopovers planned in New York and Dallas on the first and last leg of the trip, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.
The Taiwanese leader's trip was called off when US officials said they opposed his stop in New York, the newspaper said, citing three people close to the matter.
Lai's office had never formally announced his trip to Latin America, but on Monday, it said the president had cancelled all overseas travel to focus on tariff negotiations with the US and a cleanup operation following a typhoon in southern Taiwan.
The president of Taiwan cannot officially visit the US, which does not recognise its government. But Taiwanese leaders have made use of 'transit stops' in the US over the years to liaise with top administration officials outside Washington, DC.
In 2023, then-Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen used a transit stop to visit New York and Los Angeles while Joe Biden was still the US president.
Beijing, which claims democratic Taiwan as part of its territory, held military exercises in the Taiwan Strait after Tsai's US stop-off to demonstrate its anger.
Trump's reported decision to block Lai's stopover follows news that the US president is angling for a trip to China himself, although he said he does not want a 'summit' with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.
'The Fake News is reporting that I am SEEKING a 'Summit' with President Xi of China. This is not correct, I am not SEEKING anything! I may go to China, but it would only be at the invitation of President Xi, which has been extended,' Trump wrote on Truth Social late Monday night.
Reuters reported that Trump may be aiming to visit China around the time of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea, which runs from October 31 to November 1.
Whether the meeting will take place will depend on the outcome of ongoing trade talks between the US and China to resolve Trump's tariff war launched earlier this year.
US and Chinese officials are in Stockholm this week to try to hammer out a tariff agreement before a 'truce' expires on August 12, but they have many issues to discuss, including export controls, which could drag out talks.
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