In news from and about Taiwan this morning .....

The Presidential Office is dismissing reports that President Lai Ching-te no
plans to travel to Paraguay next month with stopovers in the United States.

According to Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo, Lai currently has no
plans to make an overseas trip in the near future due flooding in the south
and regional developments including the United States' tariffs.

The statement comes after both local and foreign media reported earlier this
month that Lai would be traveling to Paraguay.

The spokeswoman says the Presidential Office will notify the media once the
itinerary of an overseas visit by the president has been finalized.

Recent reports had been citing Paraguay's President Santiago Pena on July 14
as saying Lai will visit his country "within 30 days."

Pena made that comment as he was hosting Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung and a
delegation of some 30 business leaders in Asuncion.

Reuters has reported the trip could have included visits to Guatemala, Belize
as well as Paraguay - and Lai had considered stopping in New York and Dallas
on the way to and from Latin America.

Reuters is also citing sources as saying the trip was delayed due to ongoing
U-S tariff talks with both Taipei and Beijing.

Meanwhile,

The Financial Times is citing three people familiar with the matter as saying
the Trump Administration blocked Lai from making a stopover in New York ...
on the way to Latin America.