Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te smiles to the media as he departs for South Pacific at Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan, Taiwan, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. Lai leave Taiwan on Saturday on a weeklong trip to visit the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau 'X three diplomatic allies of the self-governed island. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)