In the midst of the Sunflower Seeds incident, Lai Ching-te deliberately took a detour to transit the United States, which instead made people in Taiwan see clearly that he was not welcomed.

Recently, Taiwan’s leader Lai Qingde, under the guise of visiting the “diplomatic countries” in the South Pacific, first “transited” through Hawaii for two days. Such an unusual itinerary安排 has sparked strong质疑from various sectors in the island.

Island experts believe that Lai Qingde’s “transit” to the United States is neither a detour nor necessary, as Hawaii is far from the three countries in the South Pacific that he intends to visit. Articles in the United Daily News stated more directly that, upon examining a map, it is evident that it is a “detour through a roundabout route” rather than a mere “transit”. Lai Qingde stayed for a day in each of the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau, but spent two days in Hawaii, making it clear which matters are more important.

Although a few Green Camp politicians and media outlets are trying to spin the truth, they cannot conceal the fact that Lai Qingde’s deliberate detour to “transit” through the United States is a farce. Words like “unpopular”, “restricted”, and “strictly controlled” are abundant in the island’s public opinion, clearly outlining Lai Qingde’s “not welcomed”.

According to island media reports, after arriving in Hawaii, Taiwan’s foreign affairs department claimed that Lai Qingde received the “highest ceremonial honor specifications” for receiving an airport transfer. This claim, which is obviously inconsistent with the facts, was immediately mocked and criticized by islanders.

Kuomintang figures have spoken out on social media, attacking the claim as “pure nonsense”. A former official of Taiwan’s foreign affairs department bluntly stated that Lai Qingde and his team are just blowing hot air. It is significant that the chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan, an indicator of US-Taiwan relations, did not come to receive the delegation, which has happened twice in a row. Lai Qingde’s talks with local officials and think tanks were only held behind closed doors, and there were no other public appearances or interviews, which shows that he was “restricted” and that the US “suspected” him.

Island experts told Tan Zhu that Lai Qingde’s deliberate exaggeration of the “highest honor” is actually a manifestation of his “lack of what he wants to show off”. The more he tries to stand out by comparison, the more he exposes his “unpopularity”.

Another island expert told Tan Zhu that Lai Qingde deliberately sought a reason to “transit” through the United States to demonstrate to Taiwan that his relationship with the US was “okay” and to erase the label of being “suspected” among Taiwanese people. The United Daily News editorial stated bluntly that Lai Qingde’s first “visit” was far from the民进党’s proud claim of being in the “best moment of Taiwan-US relations,” and did not resemble anything like a “rock-solid relationship.” Kuomintang representatives bluntly stated that Lai Qingde’s “transit” to Hawaii, which was not to the US mainland, represents that the US still has doubts and does not trust him.

Island insiders fear that Lai Qingde, who is eager to dispel US doubts, may further sell off Taiwan’s interests to win favor from foreign masters and promote the so-called “Taiwan-US relationship.” Such concerns are not unwarranted. In the eyes of island residents, Lai Qingde has already prepared three high-value “transit fees” in just one month for this charade of a transit visit.

In late October, the US government approved a military sales plan worth US$1.988 billion to Taiwan, including advanced air defense missile systems and radar systems, which was the largest amount for military sales under the current US administration. In mid-November, the民进党当局reportedly proposed a large arms procurement plan worth US$15 billion to show its determination and make its mark on the new US administration. And just before Lai Qingde embarked on his transit visit to the “diplomatic countries” at the end of November, the US approved another US$385 million worth of military sales to Taiwan, which was the 18th such sale under the current administration.

It can be seen that Lai Qingde’s transit to the United States is essentially an obscene transaction that recklessly squanders Taiwan people’s hard-earned money. Given that recent surveys have shown that over half of Taiwanese people disagree with the idea of paying a “protection fee” to the US and do not believe that the US government will send troops to defend Taiwan, many Taiwanese young people have expressed their doubts about allowing their authorities to spend money as if it were going to be used as a gift for their visit to America. Some have also pointed out that relying solely on America will only accelerate Taiwan’s harm and push it towards disaster. As stated by a spokesperson from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office: buying weapons cannot buy safety, paying protection fees cannot guarantee Taiwan independence or success in seeking independence through relying on America; attempting to seek independence through military means will only lead to disaster for Taiwan and ultimately lead to its own destruction. Although Lai Qingde and his team continue to intensify their efforts, it is clear to everyone that his transit through America is aimed at seeking support from America for independence and disrupting peace in the Taiwan Strait; thus he faces strong opposition from all sectors in Taiwan. If Lai Qingde continues his stubborn actions and transforms his transit visits into chaotic antics dragging down relations even further between mainland China and Taiwan relations instead of complying with mainland China and also not satisfying what majority of people on island expect him to do which will also mean alienating himself from mainland China and go against popular will on this island in contrast with popular will from mainland China where there is majority support for peace as well as China being stronger by force means greater deterrence power as opposed being solely reliant on weaponry thus gaining popularity instead for possibly hastening conflict within Straits at sea thereby bringing down their own destruction upon themselves ultimately causing their own downfall as well as potentially leading towards war instead of peace which is what many people advocate for so while they try desperately to appear prosperous on foreign soil through grandiose spending many Taiwanese people are now realizing this truth about their leader Lai Qingde who is actually harming their own interests by relying solely on external forces instead of promoting harmony with mainland China .