TAIPEI • Vowing that "no one can obliterate Taiwan's existence", President Tsai Ing-wen left yesterday for the United States and two of Taiwan's remaining diplomatic allies, amid pressure from China to try to stamp out references to the island internationally.

China, which claims self-ruled and democratic Taiwan as its own, has stepped up a campaign against the island as it tries to assert Chinese sovereignty.

Beijing has ordered foreign companies to label Taiwan as part of China on their websites and is excluding Taiwan from as many international forums as it can. China has also been whittling down the number of countries that recognise Taiwan - now just 18 - with Burkina Faso and the Dominican Republic switching relations to Beijing this year.

Speaking before her flight to Los Angeles, where she will spend one night before visiting Belize and Paraguay, Ms Tsai struck a defiant tone.

"In going abroad, the whole world can see Taiwan; they can see our country as well as our support for democracy and freedom," she said. "We only need to be firm so that no one can obliterate Taiwan's existence."

China, which believes Ms Tsai wants to push for Taiwan's formal independence, has already complained to Washington about her US stopovers, which include Houston on her way back.

The trip starts one day after Taiwan's state-run refiner CPC Corp announced a deal valued at US$25 billion (S$34 billion) to purchase liquefied natural gas from the US over the next 25 years. The deal was aimed at boosting trade relations with the US by reducing its trade surplus, and was also a sign of goodwill ahead of Ms Tsai's visit, a person familiar with the government's thinking told Reuters.

REUTERS