Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te has arrived in Hawaii for a two-day transit in the U.S. as part of a trip to the South Pacific.

Taiwan's top China policymaker on Wednesday said Chinese military threats would only drive the two sides further apart, as state media in the island's giant neighbour warned of a strong response to a U.

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.