Chen said the trip was especially important after the recent defection of longtime ally Costa Rica to Beijing.

“Facing China’s ruthless suppression and blockade, we must be brave . . . and tell the world firmly and loudly that Taiwan is a sovereign country and the Taiwanese people have a right to join the international community as equals,” he told reporters at the airport.

Chen is to attend a summit hosted by Honduras for leaders from Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala and Panama and the vice presidents of Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

He will also travel to El Salvador and Nicaragua before returning here on August 28.

Chen will stop over in Alaska in both directions, a transit to the president, who had wanted a high-profile visit to a major US city befitting a national leader, has described as a “humiliation.”

Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war and have since vied for international recognition as the rightful government, with Beijing regarding the island as part of the mainland awaiting reunification.

China replaced Taiwan at the United Nations in 1971, and only 24 countries—many of them in Central and South America—now formally recognize Taipei instead of Beijing.

It made the loss of Costa Rica all the harder for Taiwan to bear, and each side accuses the other of using “check book diplomacy” to lure allies.

Chen said he would not call off a proposed referendum on applying for UN membership under Taiwan’s own name, an idea opposed by both Washington and Beijing, just to keep them happy.

“Some people think if I openly oppose or cancel the referendum I would get better transit treatment in the United States,” he said at the airport.

“But a referendum is a basic human right and even as a leader I can’t go against public opinion or violate human rights.