Sawt Falasteen - Taiwan's Lai kicks off visit to US territory Guam

Lai's week-long trip is aimed at shoring up international support for Taiwan as China maintains military pressure on the island and seeks to isolate it by poaching its few remaining allies and blocking it from global forums.

Taiwan calls itself a sovereign nation, but Beijing insists the democratic island is part of its territory and opposes any official exchanges with it.

Lai arrived in Guam on Wednesday night following visits to Pacific island nations Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands, after a stop in the US state of Hawaii.

He was greeted by Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero, Ingrid Larson from the Washington office of the de facto US embassy in Taiwan, and others on the tarmac.

Like most countries, the United States does not have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but Washington is Taipei's most important backer and biggest supplier of arms.

At a meeting over morning tea in Guerrero's official residence on Thursday, Lai warned of "authoritarian expansionism" and urged like-minded governments to "unite and collaborate to safeguard democracy, peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region".

In her remarks, Guerrero said the partnership between Guam and Taiwan was "more crucial than ever" in the face of a "dynamic global economy".

"Taiwanese investments have significantly contributed to Guam's growth, creating opportunities for our people, while fostering mutual prosperity," Guerrero said.

Lai also addressed Guam's parliament and will later Thursday travel to the Pacific island nation of Palau, the final stop of his trip.

Palau, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands are among 12 nations that still recognise Taiwan diplomatically, including the Vatican, after China convinced others to dump Taipei in favour of Beijing.

Lai's Pacific tour has drawn fiery criticism from China, which on Tuesday vowed to defend its "national sovereignty" and "territorial integrity".

"The Taiwan issue is the core of China's core interests," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said when asked whether Beijing could launch another round of military drills around the self-ruled island in response to the trip.

Lai will wrap up his first overseas trip since taking office in May on Friday.

M.AbuKhalil--SF-PST