Taiwan’s president departed Saturday for his trip to the South Pacific that will include a two-day transit in the US, his first since assuming office, though few details about his itinerary were made public. The planned stopovers in Hawaii and the territory of Guam have already drawn fierce criticism from Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its own territory and objects to official exchanges between it and the US, the island’s biggest backer and military provider.

Lai Ching-te will go on a weeklong trip to visit the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau—three diplomatic allies of the self-governed island in the Pacific. “I want to use the values of democracy, peace, and prosperity to continue to expand our cooperation with our allies, to deepen our partnership and let the world see Taiwan not just as a model of democracy, but a vital power in promoting the world`s peace and stability, and prosperous development,” he said at the Taoyuan International Airport, ahead of his departure.