Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te visited Hawaii for two days, where he met with the state's governor and congressional representatives as part of his tour of Pacific islands. This visit has already sparked criticism from Beijing.

On Sunday, China's Foreign Ministry strongly criticised the US for supporting Lai's visit and made a formal complaint to the US. It also condemned the recent announcement of a US weapons sale to Taiwan, which China considers a part of its territory. China said it would closely watch how the situation develops and would take strong actions to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Lai's weeklong journey began with a stop in Hawaii, and then he travelled on to the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau. These three countries are among the twelve nations that have official diplomatic ties with Taipei.

On Saturday, Hawaii's Governor Josh Green met with Lai at the state's emergency management agency to talk about disaster preparedness. Green, who worked as an emergency room doctor before becoming governor, shared on social media that he and Lai discussed how their healthcare backgrounds have shaped their leadership. Lai, also a trained physician, holds a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard University. Green added that they both welcomed Lai and his team with warm aloha, emphasizing the shared values of resilience and collaboration between Hawaii and Taiwan. Lai also went to Bishop Museum, which is the premier museum of Native Hawaiian culture and natural history in Hawaii.

During a dinner banquet with the Taiwanese American community in the evening, Lai posed for pictures with state and federal lawmakers from Hawaii. US Rep Ed Case, a Democrat from Honolulu, shared on social media that he told the audience our strong relationship is based on shared values and interests to work toward common goals and address challenges together. It is not yet clear if Lai will meet with senior officials from the Biden administration or the incoming Trump administration during his time in Hawaii. In a July interview with Bloomberg, President-elect Donald Trump said that Taiwan should cover the cost of its own defence. The island has spent billions of dollars buying defence weapons from the US. Trump avoided answering whether he would defend the island from Chinese military action. The US State Department announced new arms on Friday, including $385 million in spare parts and equipment for Taiwan's F-16 fleet, as well as support for their tactical communication systems. 

Under the Taiwan Relations Act, the US is required to assist Taiwan in defending itself, but it has a policy of strategic ambiguity, meaning it's unclear if the US would intervene if China were to invade Taiwan. Former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen faced strong opposition from China when she stopped in New York last year on her way to Latin America.

During the visit, she met with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. China responded with military drills around Taiwan, warning against what it saw as cooperation between separatists and foreign forces. This came after Lai, Taiwan's vice president at the time, made a similar stop in the US.  China opposes visits by prominent American politicians to Taiwan, as it considers any official contact with Taiwan an attack on its claim of sovereignty over the island. The US shifted its official recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979. 

Additionally, Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te thanked the United States for allowing him to make a stop in Hawaii during his travels. He also emphasised Taiwan's dedication to preserving peace and preventing conflict in the Taiwan Strait.

During a banquet with overseas Taiwanese in Hawaii, Lai, who arrived on Saturday for a two-night stay before visiting Pacific allies, expressed his gratitude to the US government for allowing him to make a stopover. He also mentioned that he was particularly happy to start his visit in Hawaii, according to Focus Taiwan (CNA).

"In honour of the Fallen Heroes: President Lai Ching-te, Republic of China (Taiwan)." "Our visit to the [USS Arizona] memorial today in particular reminds us of the importance of ensuring peace," he said, reflecting on the visit. There is no winner in war, and peace is priceless.

To prevent war, we have to fight—fight together." He remarked, "We are like family," Along with highlighting the two regions' parallels as island nations susceptible to natural disasters, he expressed a wish to expand exchanges across several domains.