President Lai Ching-te is setting off on his first overseas trip since taking office in May, visiting several diplomatic allies and making stopovers in the U.S. territories of Hawaii and Guam. TaiwanPlus sent a team with the press corps on Lai's trip,

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s brief stop in Hawaii may have appeared understated – no formal US reception, no grand speeches – but its implications extend far beyond floral wreaths and banquets.

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te will stop over in Hawaii and the US territory of Guam during a trip to the Pacific, his office said Thursday, eliciting a fresh vow from China to "resolutely crush" any attempts for Taiwan independence.