Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has not completed a transit or visit through the continental United States during his term, with prior 2025 plans for stops in New York and Dallas canceled after the Trump administration declined approval amid trade negotiations with Beijing. Recent Trump-Xi summits, including the September 2026 Washington meeting, featured direct Chinese pressure on opposing Taiwan independence without shifting stated U.S. policy under the Taiwan Relations Act and related commitments. Taipei maintains ongoing diplomatic channels with Washington on security and economic issues, while former President Tsai Ing-wen’s upcoming U.S. academic engagement highlights differentiated treatment for non-incumbent officials. Any future Lai transit would require balancing U.S.-China trade dynamics, upcoming bilateral meetings, and congressional support for arms packages, leaving timing dependent on these cross-strait risk calculations.