Taiwan Hosts Governor of Guam, Key US Territory for Taiwan’s Defense

Lourdes Leon Guerrero arrived on May 26 and will stay in Taiwan through the week.

The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt is docked at Naval Base Guam in Apra Harbor on April 27, 2020. Tony Azios/AFP via Getty Images

Lourdes Leon Guerrero, governor of the U.S. territory of Guam, met with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on May 27 during her first visit to the self-governing island since taking office in 2019.

“Guam is the closest U.S. territory to Taiwan and serves as an important bridge connecting Taiwan and the United States,” Lai said during a press conference on Tuesday.

He said their cooperation was “mutually beneficial,” highlighting potential partnerships in pharmaceuticals, hydroculture, manufacturing, recycling, and other industries.

Last month, United Airlines added nonstop flights between the two islands. Guam residents can now visit Taiwan without a visa.

“We are here because we want to continuously provide quality of life to all, so I am ... looking forward to a great, strong relationship between Taiwan and Guam in socioeconomic issues, in culture, in marketing, in tourism, and of course, Mr. President, in freedom and democracy,” Guerrero said at the same conference.

The governor arrived on May 26 and will stay through the week, meeting with several levels of officials in Taiwan during that time.

Guam is a key strategic location in the event of a conflict with China, whose leader, Xi Jinping, has ordered the military to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027.

Although Taiwan is self-governing and democratically ruled, the Chinese communist regime claims it as its territory. Taiwanese and U.S. officials have highlighted the 2027 date of a possible invasion, noting the increase in Chinese military exercises around Taiwan.

Taiwan’s former foreign minister has also said the date coincided with the expected timing of Xi’s unprecedented fourth term, adding that an invasion could become more likely if Xi saw it as necessary to cement his power amid domestic turmoil.

In March, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth made his first trip to Asia, first stopping in Hawaii and Guam.

“These islands are the tip of America’s spear in the Pacific ... vital parts of America and central to our defense,” he said in Guam on March 28. During the trip, he also highlighted the Guam Defense System, an anti-missile network, which Hegseth said was a model for the Golden Dome missile defense project.

U.S. military installations make up about a third of Guam. Hegseth said the island is home to 8,000 active-duty troops and 20,000 members of the Department of Defense and their families.

“We are not seeking war with Communist China, but it is our job to ensure that we are ready,” Hegseth said.

The United States has no defense pact with Taiwan.

Guam is about 1,727 miles from Taiwan, and part of what has been called the “second island chain,” a strategic zone that would give either China or the United States an advantage in the event of a conflict around Taiwan.

The island nations in this region are divided, with some heeding Beijing’s calls to not formally recognize Taiwan.

Taiwan is in the “first island chain” along with Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Lai has sought to strengthen ties with Pacific allies since he took office last year. He visited Guam in December, where he met with the governor and spoke with top U.S. lawmakers by phone and video call. The visit and correspondence drew Beijing’s ire, with a Chinese regime spokesperson reiterating that Taiwan is one of the red lines it expects other nations not to cross in holding diplomatic relations.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.