Taiwan Says President Has ‘No Plans’ to Travel After Reports Claimed US Blocked Stopover

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has no plans to travel overseas at the moment because of a recent typhoon, his office said, dismissing reports that he canceled a trip to Latin America because the U.S. government allegedly blocked a transit stop in New York.

“In consideration of the ongoing rehabilitation efforts in southern Taiwan following a recent typhoon and regional developments including the United States’ tariffs, the president currently has no plans to go on an overseas visit,” Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo said on July 28, according to Taiwanese news outlet Focus Taiwan.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on July 29 that Lai’s travel plans are “generally hypothetical,” since Taiwan has not made any official announcements about his potential trips to other countries.

“There have been no plans, travel plans for the president. There has been, as a result, nothing canceled,” Bruce said during a press conference. “I can tell you … that transits by high-level Taiwan officials, including presidents, are fully consistent with our longstanding policy and practice. This has not changed.”

Bruce reaffirmed that the United States remains committed to its “One China” policy, which is guided by the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, and to “preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”

The “One China Policy” is a diplomatic position that acknowledges that China stakes a claim over Taiwan but does not endorse that claim.

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña said on July 14 that Lai would visit Paraguay within 30 days, although the Taiwanese government did not officially announce the trip. Such trips would typically involve stopovers in the United States.

Embassy officials in Guatemala and Paraguay said that Lai’s visits to the countries had been postponed until further notice because of Typhoon Danas, which struck southern Taiwan earlier this month.

Beijing has expressed strong opposition to any form of official interaction and contact between U.S. and Taiwanese officials.

The Chinese Communist Party views Taiwan as a renegade province that must be united with the mainland by any means necessary, even though Taiwan has never been ruled by the CCP and has a democratic government.

Guatemala and Paraguay are among the 12 remaining countries that have diplomatic relations with the self-ruling island, according to Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry. Paraguay became Taiwan’s last diplomatic ally in South America after Honduras switched allegiance to China in 2023.

The United States has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is bound by the Taiwan Relations Act to provide the island with the means to maintain its self-defense.

Reuters contributed to this report.