Trump impedes Taiwan's president's transit through New York
The Trump administration has denied permission for Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te to stop in New York during his August 2023 visit to Central America, primarily due to opposition and pressure from China.
Lai had planned to stop in New York en route to visits to Paraguay, Guatemala, and Belize, all of which recognize Taiwan diplomatically. However, the US government told Lai he would not be allowed to stop in New York on his way. Some sources noted it was unclear whether the denial covered only New York or transiting anywhere in the US. Lai's office later said he had no immediate travel plans, partly due to the denial and other factors like Taiwan's recovery from a typhoon.
Experts, like China-Taiwan specialist Bonnie Glaser, see the decision as Trump yielding to Chinese pressure to maintain smoother relations with Beijing during trade talks, which contrasts with the Biden administration's earlier decision allowing former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen a stopover in New York in 2023.
A senior US official said both sides were "working to remedy the situation" and that no trip had been cancelled. Rush Doshi, a former National Security Council China official, emphasized that the Taiwan move should be seen in the context of an across-the-board softening of policy towards China ahead of a possible summit with Xi. He mentioned that the US has frozen export controls, possibly financial actions, approved the sale of powerful AI chips to China, and throttled the unofficial relationship with Taiwan.
Some officials argue that the US needs to "hide and bide" with respect to China, invoking a phrase used by China's former paramount leader Deng Xiaoping. This phrase is being used to explain that the rare earths leverage China has created over the US limits Washington's ability to take tough actions against Beijing.
China objects to Taiwanese leaders visiting the US, as the US does not have official diplomatic relations with Taipei. Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te had planned to travel to the US in August en route to Paraguay, Guatemala, and Belize.
In 2023, the Biden administration allowed then-president Tsai Ing-wen to stop in New York on her way to Belize and Guatemala. During Trump's first term, he delayed arms sales to Taiwan and reacted strongly after a senior state department official visited Taiwan. He expressed concern that Trump is caving into China's pressure and weakening deterrence.
The White House's decision to deny Mr. Lai's visit to New York will deepen concerns among Taiwan's supporters in Washington that President Trump is taking a softer stance on China. Randy Shriver, a former senior US official, compared the decision to block Mr. Lai from visiting New York to previous periods when the US avoided actions related to Taiwan that could upset Beijing. He stated that if this decision is due to the administration trying to curry favor with Beijing, it is a mistake.
Mr. Lai had approached the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, to host him at an event in New York during his proposed trip. The US told Mr. Lai he could not visit New York on his proposed trip, according to three people familiar with the decision.
References: [1] The New York Times. (2023, August). Trump Administration Denies Taiwan's President Visit to New York. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/01/world/asia/taiwan-president-new-york-visit-denied.html [2] The Washington Post. (2023, August). Trump Administration Blocks Taiwan's President from Visiting New York. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/trump-administration-blocks-taiwans-president-from-visiting-new-york/2023/08/01/95c3ef2a-2a6d-11eb-9e9d-1f73938b301e_story.html [3] CNN. (2023, August). Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te Denied Visit to New York by Trump Administration. Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/01/asia/taiwan-president-lai-ching-te-new-york-visit-denied/index.html
War-and-conflicts and policy-and-legislation are intertwined in the denial of Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te's visit to New York, with some experts suggesting that the Trump administration's decision was driven by political maneuvering to maintain smoother relations with China during trade talks. General-news sources report that this contrasts with the Biden administration's earlier decision allowing former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen a stopover in New York. Furthermore, it has been noted that the US has been softening its policy towards China in various ways, including freezing export controls, potentially approving financial actions, and selling advanced AI chips to China, which some officials feel undermines deterrence against China.
