Beijing urges US not to let Taiwan’s William Lai transit through country

‘Stop sending wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces,’ Beijing’s foreign ministry tells US, a day after similar message to Canada

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Taiwanese leader William Lai is reportedly set to visit allies in the Pacific in the coming weeks, with stopovers in Hawaii and Guam. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 6:09pm, 15 Nov 2024Updated: 7:41pm, 15 Nov 2024

Beijing has urged Washington not to allow Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te to transit via the United States, ahead of his reported plans to visit the Pacific islands.

This came a day after Beijing urged Ottawa to abide by its “one China” commitment, with Lai’s predecessor Tsai Ing-wen reportedly scheduled to visit Canada next week.

Reuters reported on Friday that Lai was set to visit Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in the Pacific in the coming weeks, with plans to stop over in the US state of Hawaii and possibly its Micronesian territory Guam, both home to major US military bases.

“Taiwan authorities use these so-called diplomatic ties to pull political agenda,” Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Friday afternoon. “These actions are useless and would not shake the trend of the time that there is one China in the world.”

“China consistently opposes the US arrangements [of such transits],” he said. “We urge America to abide by the one-China principle and the three joint communiques, not allow Lai to transit through the United States and stop sending wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces.”

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Beijing accuses Taiwan’s William Lai of sending ‘dangerous signals’ in inauguration speech

The three joint communiques on the Taiwan issue state that the US recognises the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China, and it acknowledges Beijing’s position that there is but one China, and Taiwan is part of China.