There is actually a law passed by Congress that forbids the President from visiting Taiwan. I believe it’s the only such law.
this is also the reason for the Taiwan Relations Act which makes it US policy to accept delegations of officials other than the chief executive. Pretty sure the restrictions are related to recognition of mainland as the “only China” and a presidential visit to a territory without meaningful diplomatic status would convey said status in the eyes of international law. But I am not a lawyer, I just asked ChatGPT.
@BTE Sorry, what are you talking about? What law forbids the President of the United States from visiting Taiwan?
@BTE a specific reference would be nice. See also https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/535/text
@ScottLawrence The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act was very different though has now been replaced with the new one that actually does seem to encourage such a visit. From Wikipedia “The Act was passed by both chambers of Congress and signed by President Carter in 1979 after the breaking of relations between the US and the ROC. Congress rejected the State Department's proposed draft and replaced it with language that has remained in effect since 1979. The TRA is intended to maintain commercial, cultural, and other relations through the unofficial relations in the form of a nonprofit corporation incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia – the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) – without official government representation and without formal diplomatic relations.[6] The Act entered retroactively into force, effective January 1, 1979.” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan_Relations_Act
My bad.
