Questions mount within Taiwan island over Lai's ‘transit fee’ in US
As Taiwan's regional leader Lai Ching-te is reportedly preparing to visit Central and South America next month, meaning Lai will likely to make a "transit" stop in the US, there has been mounting speculation within the island about how much "transit fee" Lai will have to pay.
The spokesperson for the US State Department claimed that "transits of the US by high-level Taiwan officials are in line with past practice, and fully consistent with its policy,"Straits Times reported on Friday, although the spokesperson didn't confirm Lai would transit.
Spokespersons of Chinese Foreign Ministry and the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office had voiced firm opposition separately on Tuesday and Wednesday to any form of official interaction between the US and China's Taiwan region, and denounced Lai's attempt to "transit" through the US under any pretext or in any form.
Both urged the US to strictly abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, to handle Taiwan questions with utmost prudence, and to refrain from sending any wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.
In recent days, there has been much discussion within the island regarding the amount of the "transit fee" that Lai will have to pay.
With the current US government reshaping US relations with the world, Lai's "transit" through the country will inevitably come with a hefty "toll" or "transit fee," Taiwan's United Daily News said.
Some opinions also hold that Lai's trip may not be able to proceed. Analysts say one factor that could derail the stopover would be relatively better US-China ties, which could prompt the US president to cancel Lai's visit, according to South China Morning Post.
Given various subjective and objective factors, Lai may find it hard to get what he wants, Macao-based Jornal San Wa Ou reported. Even if he can land in New York, his activities may be strictly restricted. "If that's the case, it will be self - humiliation, and it would be better not to go," the report said.
The primary purpose of Lai's visit is not about his upcoming August trip to Paraguay, but rather to use "transit" through the US as a way to showcase the latter's support for the island, Zheng Jian, a professor at the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Friday.
The expert also characterized the remarks by the US as part of Washington's habitual use of the "Taiwan card." In exchange for a "transit" opportunity, Lai may offer concessions in trade or security, such as increasing arms purchases from the US or aligning more closely with US strategies to contain China, Zheng noted.
Lai's visit reflects the mindset of sacrificing Taiwan's long-term interests for partisan gains — a move that, experts said, typifies the approach of the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces on the island.