Taiwan president plans stopovers in Hawaii and Guam during South Pacific trip

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te will stop in Hawaii and Guam during his upcoming trip to the South Pacific. He is set to visit the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau, which are Taiwan's diplomatic allies. Lai's stopovers are likely to provoke objections from China, which claims Taiwan as its territory. Taiwan currently has only 12 formal diplomatic allies due to pressure from Beijing. China has previously reacted strongly to similar stopovers by Taiwanese leaders, warning against perceived collusion with foreign forces. Taiwan continues to seek participation in international forums despite its declining number of diplomatic partners.