US trip pays off for Taiwan VP with China drills more ‘thunder than rain’

Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai waves at Taoyuan International Airport before his departure to the United States for a stopover in New York on his way to Paraguay, in Taoyuan, Taiwan August 12, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights TAIPEI, Aug 21 (Reuters) – A highly sensitive trip by Taiwan Vice President William Lai to the United States this month has paid off in showing him to be a responsible leader who won’t escalate tensions and after Chinese drills in response to the visit fizzled out within a day. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory and…