Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te began a two-day U.S. stopover in Hawaii on Saturday as part of a Pacific tour after declaring his democratically governed island a key force for promoting global peace and stability.
China, which views Taiwan as its own territory and opposes any foreign interactions or visits by the island’s leaders, has been stepping up military pressure against Taiwan, including two rounds of war games this year.
China views Lai as a dangerous separatist and on Friday urged Washington to exercise “utmost caution” in its relations with Taiwan.