Taiwan has reluctantly agreed to abide by a humiliating US decision that the island's president be allowed to make refuelling stopovers only in Alaska en route to and from Latin America.
Critics have described the move as the biggest diplomatic setback for the island in 12 years.
Instead of leaving yesterday for official visits to Paraguay and Costa Rica, President Chen Shui-bian will now depart today after his plan to make overnight, high-profile stopovers in key US cities was rejected by Washington, the island's biggest informal ally and major arms supplier.
'Regarding the US transit arrangement for the president, although we are not satisfied with it, we still do not want to make things difficult for our friend, and after negotiations with the US, we decided to make brief stopovers in Anchorage on both the onward and returning flights,' Taiwanese Foreign Minister James Huang Chih-fang said yesterday.
He said Mr Chen would leave Taipei this morning and arrive in Paraguay tonight for a three-day visit after a brief stopover in Alaska. He said Mr Chen was scheduled to leave for Costa Rica on Sunday for a two-day visit before returning to Taiwan next Thursday.
The itinerary for Mr Chen's Latin American visit had not been finalised just hours before yesterday's planned departure, forcing him to postpone his journey by a day. Mr Huang blamed the mainland, saying Washington's concern over Beijing's reaction was the main reason that Mr Chen could only stop over in Alaska.
