Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te will stop over in Hawaii and Guam during his trip to the South Pacific, drawing criticism from China. Lai is to leave Taiwan on Saturday on a weeklong trip to visit the Marshall Islands,

China has previously responded aggressively to U.S. transit stops by Taiwanese leaders. In April 2023, Beijing conducted three days of military exercises around Taiwan after Lai's predecessor, former President Tsai Ing-wen of the DPP, met then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during a U.S. stopover en route to Central America.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te will visit Hawaii and the US territory of Guam during an upcoming trip to the Pacific, prompting condemnations from China, which could respond by staging a fresh round of military drills near the island democracy.