TAIPEI (Reuters) – The top U.S. diplomat in Taiwan said on Wednesday there was no reason for China to use the transit of the Taiwan vice president in the United States as a pretext for provocative action, Sandra Oudkirk, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, told a news conference in Taipei.
Vice President William Lai will make stopovers in the United States next month on his way to and from the inauguration of Paraguay president-elect Santiago Pena, as the country maintains official ties with Taiwan.
Such transits for Taiwan presidents and vice presidents are routine and done to provide safety and comfort, Oudkirk said.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing bh Tom Hogue)
