Sawt Falasteen - Taiwan's Lai says 'confident' of deeper cooperation with Trump

Like other world governments, Taiwan has publicly congratulated Trump on his victory in November's presidential election as it seeks to get onside with the next US leader.

The United States does not have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but Washington has long been Taipei's biggest backer and provider of arms.

Trump caused jitters during his campaign by suggesting Taiwan should pay the United States for its defence and accusing the island of stealing the US semiconductor industry.

"Taiwan is confident that it will continue to deepen cooperation with the new government to resist authoritarian expansion, and create prosperity and development for both countries while making more contributions to regional stability and peace," Lai told reporters in Palau.

Lai arrived in the tiny Pacific island nation on Thursday after visiting the American territory of Guam where he spoke with Johnson -- the highest-level US contact the Taiwanese leader has had during his week-long trip.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes any international recognition of the island. Beijing especially bristles at high-level official contact between Taipei and Washington.

A 2022 visit to Taiwan by then US House speaker Nancy Pelosi prompted China to launch military drills around the self-ruled island.

Beijing on Thursday urged the United States to "stop sending wrong signals" following the Lai-Johnson call, warning of the "serious danger that separatist acts of Taiwan independence pose to peace and security across the Taiwan Strait".

During Friday's press conference with AFP and other media travelling with the president, Lai also urged democracies to be "more united" to counter growing authoritarianism.

- 'Rock solid' relations -

Lai's Pacific tour -- his first overseas trip since taking office in May -- is aimed at fortifying ties in the Pacific where China has been poaching its allies.

Palau is among 12 nations that still recognise Taiwan's claim to statehood, after China convinced others to sever diplomatic relations with Taipei in favour of Beijing.

Earlier, Lai and his Palau counterpart Surangel Whipps Jr watched a joint rescue exercise involving the Taiwan's largest coast guard patrol ship and two vessels donated by Taiwan to Palau.

Before that, Lai attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new "one-stop" government services building in Palau that Taiwan helped fund.

Lai hailed the building project "a model of successful bilateral cooperation" and said the Taiwan-Palau alliance was "rock solid".

- 'No winners from conflict' -

The dispute between Taiwan and China goes back to 1949 when Chiang Kai-shek's nationalist forces were defeated by Mao Zedong's communist fighters and fled to the island.

While Taiwan calls itself a sovereign nation, with its own government, military and currency, Beijing insists the island belongs to China and has not ruled out the use of force to bring it under its control.

Taiwan faces the constant threat of a military attack by China, which regularly deploys fighter jets and warships around the island to press its claims, and it relies heavily on US arms sales to boost its defences.

On the eve of Lai's Pacific tour, the United States approved a proposed sale to Taiwan of spare parts for F-16s and radar systems, as well as communications equipment, in deals valued at $385 million in total.

Speaking during a two-day visit to the US state of Hawaii on Saturday, Lai said there was a need to "fight together to prevent war", warning there were "no winners" from conflict.

From Palau, Lai will fly to Taipei on Friday, wrapping up a trip that also included visits to Taiwan's other Pacific island allies the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu.

E.Aziz--SF-PST