For Immediate Release
Washington, D.C. – July 30, 2025
Contact: 202-600-6819
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FAPA: Lai’s Visit Would Advance Normalization of U.S.-Taiwan Ties and Uphold the Taiwan Travel Act
On July 28, the Financial Times, citing anonymous sources, reported that the Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s planned visits to diplomatic allies in Central and South America were either delayed or canceled, allegedly because the Trump administration did not greenlight a stopover in New York. The report has since been denied by both the U.S. and Taiwanese governments.
In response to the report, the U.S. State Department reiterated that its policy on stopovers for Taiwanese leaders, including presidents, remains unchanged. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs swiftly denied the report, stating that President Lai had no immediate travel plans and would remain in Taiwan to focus on post-typhoon recovery and ongoing trade negotiations with the United States.
The Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) National President Dr. Su-Mei Kao stated: “High-level visits between the U.S. and Taiwan are fully consistent with the Taiwan Travel Act, which FAPA actively championed and was signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2018. It is U.S. policy to encourage senior Taiwanese officials to visit the United States and engage with their American counterparts, including officials from the Departments of State and Defense.”
Dr. Kao added: “Moreover, Congress has introduced a bipartisan bill — the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act — to further eliminate outdated, remaining self-imposed restrictions on engagement with Taiwan and its officials. The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives by voice vote this past May with strong bipartisan support.”
Dr. Kao concluded: “With strong congressional backing for high-level U.S.-Taiwan visits, we continue to urge President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to meet with President Lai. High-level meetings between the U.S. and Taiwan would deliver a clear signal that authoritarian China cannot dictate the terms of U.S. engagement with Taiwan. These visits will reaffirm the United States’ enduring commitment to Taiwan’s democracy, advance the normalization of U.S.-Taiwan relations, and promote more meaningful cooperation with this vital Indo-Pacific partner.”
FAPA：賴總統訪美將促進美台關係正常化，落實《台灣旅行法》精神
2025年7月28日，《金融時報》援引匿名消息人士報導指出，台灣總統賴清德原計劃出訪中南美洲邦交國，惟該行程疑因川普政府未批准其在紐約過境，因而導致延後或取消。該報導隨後遭美國與台灣政府雙方否認。
對此，美國國務院回應表示，其對台灣領導人包括總統過境美國的政策至今並無任何改變。台灣外交部亦迅速駁斥該報導，指出賴總統目前並無出訪計畫，將留在國內專注於颱風災後重建工作，並持續推動與美國正在進行的貿易談判。
台灣人公共事務會（FAPA）總會會長林素梅博士表示：「美國與台灣之間的高層互訪完全符合《台灣旅行法》（Taiwan Travel Act）的精神。該法案由FAPA積極倡議，並於2018年由川普總統簽署成為法律。美國政策明確鼓勵台灣高層官員訪美，並與包括國務院與國防部在內的美方官員進行交流。」
林會長補充道：「此外，美國國會已提出一項跨黨派的《台灣保證落實法案》（Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act），旨在進一步解除美方與台灣交流所遺留的自我設限，廢除對台灣及其官員互動的過時障礙。該法案已於今年5月在聯邦眾議院以口頭表決方式通過，並獲得兩黨廣泛且強力的支持。」
林會長最後強調：「在美國國會對美台高層互訪的堅定支持下，我們持續呼籲川普總統與國務卿盧比歐（Marco Rubio）應與賴總統舉行會晤。美台高層會談將釋出明確訊號：威權中國無權干預美國與台灣之間的交往與互動。此類訪問與會晤將重申美國對台灣民主的長期承諾，推動美台關係正常化，並促進雙方在印太地區更緊密、且具實質意義的合作夥伴關係。」