Taiwan Confident U.S. Will Approve Lai Transit, Foreign Minister Says

Taiwan is confident that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump will allow President William Lai to make a transit stop in the United States during upcoming overseas trips, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said on Monday.

In an interview, Lin said Taipei’s communication with Washington has been positive. “We don’t think having transit stops in the U.S. will be an issue,” he noted. “Based on our communication, we are confident that in the near future, we can visit Latin American countries by way of the United States.”

Lin also addressed rising tensions between China and Japan, sparked by recent remarks from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding possible Japanese military involvement if China were to invade Taiwan. He said the situation could take “maybe a year to stabilize,” adding that escalating the dispute would benefit no one.

“For Beijing, it’s also not in its interest to escalate the conflict,” Lin said.