Taiwanese President to Stop in U.S. on ‘Democracy Mission’ to Caribbean, Angering China

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen announced on Monday she will depart on July 11 for a 12-day trip through the Caribbean. The Chinese government expressed anger at Taiwanese media reports that Tsai will stop in the United States for two nights on both the outbound and return legs of her journey.

“The trip is aimed at actively promoting freedom and democracy in the region as the four Caribbean allies as well as the U.S. that the president is going to visit and stop over in are like-minded countries which treasure freedom and democracy,” Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister Miguel Tsao Li-jey said on Monday.

The Taiwanese allies in question are Haiti, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and St. Lucia. Tsao did not name the U.S. cities Tsai would visit, but Taiwanese media said she would probably stop in New York City and Denver, Colorado.

“Arrangements are being made by the U.S., in keeping with the principles of security, dignity, convenience, and comfort,” Tsao said. “In line with a tacit agreement between Taiwan and the U.S, the American cities in which Tsai will make her stopovers will be publicized at a later date.”

Tsao said President Tsai will confer with the leaders of each of the four Caribbean nations on “issues of mutual concern,” and will additionally address the parliament of St. Kitts and Nevis after receiving a state medal from Governor-General S.W. Tapley Seaton in recognition of her contributions to bilateral relations.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry responded to the news by demanding the United States refuse to permit Tsai to stop over in mainland U.S. cities.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang urged the U.S. “not to allow Tsai Ing-wen to transit, and cautiously and appropriately handle Taiwan-related issues, to avoid harming Sino-US relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”

Reuters noted that Tsai usually only spends one night when transiting through U.S. cities, rather than the two nights announced for each visit on this trip. Her last visit to the U.S. was a brief stop in Hawaii at the end of a Pacific tour in March.

The Chinese Communist government is angered by longer stops because it views Taiwan as a “renegade province” that should not be granted official recognition as a separate country. Beijing has worked hard to sever Taiwan’s diplomatic relations with other countries and international organizations ever since Tsai was elected president, viewing her as dangerously inclined toward full independence.