Vice President of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te, who is also the Democratic Progressive Party’s presidential candidate, is set to make a discreet stopover in the United States, with a focus on attending overseas Chinese banquets. According to reports from Taiwan’s “United Daily News” on Friday, Lai Qingde’s itinerary has been roughly finalized by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the representative office in the United States.
Sources from Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that Lai Ching-teh’s visit to the US aims to maintain a low profile instead of seeking any major breakthroughs. Hence, he did not request a stop in Washington initially and will also abide by US policies.
Since the transit of Taiwan’s president and vice president does not include Washington, Lai Qingde, holding dual identities, did not make a request to visit the nation’s capital this time. It is also noted that the end of the epidemic prevention control has allowed Lai Qingde’s visit to follow the specifications of former Vice President Chen Jianren. Hence, he will be taking a passenger plane rather than a chartered one. The choice of the flight will be restricted to places with direct flights from Taiwan, with convenience in transferring to Paraguay being a priority. It is expected that major cities on the east and west coasts of the United States will be given preference.
Under the Tsai administration, visits by the vice president to allied countries have typically been focused on specific goals. In this case, Lai Qingde’s purpose is to attend the inauguration ceremony of Paraguay’s new president, Pena, and he will only be visiting one country – Paraguay. As a result, the duration of his visit will not be excessively long.
Lai Qingde’s limited stay in the United States will likely be reserved for attending overseas Chinese banquets. The reception arrangements will be based on the convenience of the host, without any special requirements.
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