Taiwanese president
plans visit to Hawaii

The trip raises concern over
the possibility of diplomatic fallout

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TAIPEI >> Taiwan's leader plans to visit Hawaii and Seattle in two weeks, officials said yesterday.

A trip to the United States by President Chen Shui-bian would defy rival China's intense campaign to block Taiwanese leaders from visiting major nations. It also could put Hawaii officials in an awkward position.

"It is a difficult and delicate situation," Gov. Linda Lingle said, recalling that she met with Taiwanese Vice President Annette Lu a year ago during a stopover en route to Central America.

"As you know, Hawaii is a place of aloha," Lingle said. "It's not just an expression for the tourism posters. It's how we feel and we welcome all people here."

Chen will make his U.S. stops while traveling to Panama and Belize, which are among the few nations that have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, the Presidential Office said.

China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949, and Beijing is eager for unification. China's communist rulers consider democratic Taiwan to be a province of China that is ruled by an illegal government. Beijing has tried to isolate Taiwan by pressuring countries to sever formal ties with the island and deny visas to Taiwanese leaders.

Chen will stop in Hawaii on Aug. 30 as he travels to Panama to attend President-elect Martin Torrijos' inauguration on Sept. 1, the Presidential Office said. He will visit Belize on Sept. 2 before returning to Taiwan after a Sept. 3 stopover in Seattle, the office said.

Lingle and Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona will be at the Republican National Convention in New York when Chen arrives in Honolulu.

It is not known if Attorney General Mark Bennett, who will be acting governor that day, will greet or meet with Chen, said Lingle's press secretary, Russell Pang.

Chen's visit could require some delicate diplomatic treatment by the Lingle administration to avoid offending leaders in a promising new tourism and trade market.

"When the vice president came, I did make some contact with the State Department about it. I don't want us to do anything that is against what our nation's policy is," Lingle said. "We have close ties with Taiwan and with China."

Earlier this month, the state secured a rare business license with the Chinese government, opening the way for Hawaii to do more aggressive tourism marketing and trade promotion in China.

The governor said she did not think meeting with Taiwan's president during a stopover would jeopardize that license.

This will be the first time Chen has visited Hawaii and Seattle as president.

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