China reacted with anger on Monday to a planned visit next month to the United States by "separatist" Taiwan presidential frontrunner Vice President William Lai, as the government in Taipei said it saw no reason to overreact to mere transit stops, APA reports citing Reuters.
Taiwanese presidents and vice presidents traditionally make transits of the United States on trips to the few remaining countries still to maintain formal diplomatic ties with the Chinese-claimed island, and this time Lai will be attending the swearing in of Paraguay's new president, Santiago Pena.
This U.S. trip, though, has extra significance as Lai is running to succeed President Tsai Ing-wen at Taiwan's next election in January, and presidential candidates generally visit the United States ahead of the vote to discuss their run with officials there. Lai is currently leading in most opinion polls.
Such transits infuriate China, which views them as covert support by the United States for Taiwan's separateness from China and challenge to Beijing's territorial claims.
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