Tsai arrives in US en route to Central America meets

WASHINGTON: Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen arrived on Saturday in the United States en route to Central America on a trip that is being closely watched for any contact with the next US administration following her talks with US President-elect Donald Trump last month.

Her arrival in Houston comes after she spoke with the next US president by phone on Dec 2 in what was believed to be the first direct communication between a US president or president-elect and a Taiwanese leader since Washington severed diplomatic ties with Taipei in 1979 as part of its recognition of the People’s Republic of China.

China has urged Washington to block Ms Tsai’s stops in the US, stating that her “transit diplomacy” is “a petty trick” and her “hidden political agenda should be clear to all”.

Ms Tsai met with Sen Marco Rubio in Florida last June on her way to Panama and Paraguay.

Both Taiwan’s presidential office and an official of Mr Trump’s transition team said they have no plan for a meeting between Ms Tsai and Mr Trump or any next US administration official.

After staying overnight in Houston, the Taiwanese leader flew to Honduras yesterday and attend the inauguration on Tuesday of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, who will commence the third term of his second stint as leader.

She will then travel to Guatemala and El Salvador before making a transit stop in San Francisco on Friday night. She will leave for Taiwan the following day.

Ms Tsai’s planned trip comes after the West African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe cut off diplomatic ties with Taiwan and established them with China last month.

Taiwan is now left with 21 diplomatic allies, including 12 in Latin America and the Caribbean, six in Asia-Pacific, two in Africa, and one in Europe.