US planning to let Taiwan leader use American airports en route to Paraguay, despite Beijing concerns

Tsai Ing-wen will transfer on flights to and from Mario Benitez’s inauguration next month as president of Paraguay

South China Morning Post 
Date: 20 July, 2018
By: Zhenhua Lu, US correspondent 

Washington plans to allow Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to pass through airports in southern US cities when she travels to South America next month for Mario Benitez’s inauguration as president of Paraguay in what would be a show of support for the self-ruled island, sources have said.

People with close ties to both US and Taiwan authorities said that Tsai could pass through airports in Houston, Texas, or Miami, Florida, en route to Paraguay, the only South American country among 18 nations with full diplomatic relations with Taipei.

To avoid antagonising China, with which the administration of US President Donald Trump is locked in a trade war, the US is “very unlikely” to let Tsai enter high-profile cities such as Washington or New York, one of the sources said.
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