Taipei: Taiwan’s Presidential Office announced on Saturday that President Lai Ching-te currently has no plans for an overseas trip. This statement comes in response to a report by a Japanese media outlet suggesting that Lai had sent a top aide to the United States to arrange for a potential U.S. stopover during a future visit to Taiwan’s diplomatic allies.

According to Focus Taiwan, Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo addressed reporters, stating that no overseas itinerary has been organized for President Lai and described the report as “incorrect.” The Japanese media outlet, Nikkei Asia, had earlier cited an unnamed source claiming that Vincent Chao, the new deputy secretary-general of the National Security Council, was dispatched to America to engage with U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. The purpose of Chao’s visit was reportedly to explore the possibility of including a U.S. stopover in Lai’s rescheduled trip to Guatemala, Paraguay, and Belize by the end of the year.

During his visit to the U.S., Chao is said to have held private meetings with think tank experts in Washington and had separate discussions with figures close to the Trump administration. Chao, who previously served as head of the political division at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington, aimed to “turn a new page in the relationship” through his trip, as per the report.

Nikkei Asia also noted the sensitivity of Chao’s visit, given that Trump is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea later this month and plans to visit China early next year.

Over the summer, reports emerged that the Trump administration had discouraged President Lai from transiting through New York on his way to Latin America, with Trump reportedly blocking the stopover following protests from Beijing. This led to international media reports suggesting Lai postponed or canceled the trip. However, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied any such plans for overseas travel, affirming that no trip had been planned.