Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te has postponed a planned overseas trip after the Trump administration denied his request to stop over in New York, reportedly due to pressure from China and ongoing US–China trade negotiations. The move has drawn criticism from US lawmakers and former officials, who argue it signals US deference to Beijing and undermines Taiwan's diplomatic standing. China has publicly opposed any official exchanges between the US and Taiwan, while the US State Department insists its stopover policy remains unchanged. The incident highlights Taiwan's precarious position in global politics and the influence of US–China relations on its international engagements. The decision has sparked debate over US foreign policy priorities and the future of cross-strait relations.
It’s pretty disappointing to see the US cave to China like this—Taiwan deserves to be treated with respect, not used as a bargaining chip in trade talks.
This is a perfect example of how corporate interests and geopolitics always seem to trump (no pun intended) democratic values—Taiwan gets sidelined just to keep China happy for trade deals. If the US actually cared about self-determination and democracy, we'd stop letting authoritarian regimes dictate our foreign policy.
Trump made the right call—America shouldn’t risk its own interests or stability with China just to appease Taiwan and its politicians.
Honestly, this is the right move by Trump. The US should respect China’s sovereignty and not play games with Taiwan, which has always been a part of China. These so-called “stopovers” are just political stunts trying to create trouble and challenge China’s bottom line. If America wants a good relationship—and fair trade—with China, it should stop interfering in our internal affairs. This just proves that China’s stance is gaining more recognition internationally, and that’s a win for us.
