Taiwan’s Lai kicks off visit to US territory Guam

This handout photo taken and released on December 4, 2024 by the Taiwan Presidential office shows Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te (C-R) being greeted by Governor of Guam Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero during a welcome ceremony upon his arrival at A.B. Won Pat International Airport in Tamuning, Guam. Agence France-Presse

HAGATNA, Guam — Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on Thursday called on like-minded governments to “safeguard democracy” during a visit to US territory Guam, his second stop on American soil in a Pacific tour that has angered Beijing.

Lai’s week-long trip 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.

Taiwan calls itself a sovereign nation, but Beijing insists the democratic island is part of its territory and opposes any official exchanges with it.

READ: Taiwan’s Lai kicks off Pacific tour with US stop in Hawaii

Lai arrived in Guam on Wednesday night following visits to Pacific island nations Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands, after a stop in the US state of Hawaii.

In Honolulu, Lai discussed “China’s military threats” towards Taiwan during a call with former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi, and met with US government officials and members of Congress — drawing a barrage of criticism from Beijing.

Landing in Guam, Lai was greeted on the tarmac by the island’s Governor Lou Leon Guerrero, Ingrid Larson from the Washington office of the de facto US embassy in Taiwan, and others.

READ: Taiwan’s Lai talks ‘China threats’ with ex-US House speaker Pelosi

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.

At a banquet for Lai on Thursday, Larson said the United States would keep helping Taiwan “bolster its self-defense capabilities” and its “ability to protect itself against coercion”.

Earlier, at Guerrero’s official residence, Lai warned of “authoritarian expansionism” and urged like-minded governments to “unite and collaborate to safeguard democracy, peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region”.

In her remarks, Guerrero said the partnership between Guam and Taiwan was “more crucial than ever” in the face of a “dynamic global economy”.

“Taiwanese investments have significantly contributed to Guam’s growth, creating opportunities for our people, while fostering mutual prosperity,” Guerrero said.

Lai also addressed Guam’s parliament — a first for a Taiwanese president, his office said — and will later Thursday travel 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”.

China threats

Palau, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands are among 12 nations that still recognize Taiwan diplomatically, including the Vatican, after China convinced others to dump Taipei in favor of Beijing.

Lai’s Pacific tour has sparked fury in China, which on Tuesday vowed to defend its “national sovereignty” and “territorial integrity”.

“The Taiwan issue is the core of China’s core interests,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said when asked whether Beijing could launch another round of military drills around the self-ruled island in response to the trip.

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.

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 on US soil, Lai said Saturday there was a need to “fight together to prevent war”, warning there were “no winners” from conflict.

Lai will wrap up his trip on Friday.