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TAIPEI: Taiwan's incoming president Ma Ying-jeou is planning to make a transit stop in the United States in August en route to Latin America, a report here said Saturday.
Washington has agreed to let Ma make an overnight stop in New York on August 13 on his way to Taiwan's allies Paraguay and the Dominican Republic, the China Times said, citing unnamed sources.
He is likely to make another brief stop in California or Florida on his return journey, it said.
The report said further negotiations were underway because Ma was hoping for an unprecedented transit in the capital Washington on his first official overseas trip.
Ma's spokesman was not immediately available for comment.
Ma had expressed his desire to visit the US before his inauguration on May 20 but dropped the plan in a move seen as avoiding a dilemma for Washington.
The US has allowed Taiwanese leaders to make brief stopovers but has tried to keep them low key to avoid angering China.
Beijing opposes any foreign visits by high-level officials from Taiwan, which it regards as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.
Only 23 countries formally recognise Taiwan over China. The two split in 1949 after a civil war.
Washington is the leading arms supplier to Taiwan despite its switch of diplomatic ties from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. - AFP/ac
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