TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Presidential Office on Saturday (Aug. 3) rejected media reports that President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) was making plans for an overseas trip that would likely disrupt relations between Taiwan, the United States, and China.

The president was said to be scheduling his first voyage overseas since taking office for the end of August and early September, according to UDN. While Taiwan presidents have visited allies before, Lai’s trip would influence relations with the U.S. and China, the report said.

The Presidential Office condemned the article as false and speculative, per Radio Taiwan International. The report was misleading the public about the true state of Taiwan-U.S. relations, said Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧).

Lai did not have any plans for foreign visits at the moment, but if any arrangements were made, the Presidential Office would announce them to the public, she confirmed. The spokesperson also called on the media to check their sources before publishing misleading reports.

Several of Taiwan’s 12 official diplomatic allies are located in the Caribbean and Latin America, making stopovers in the U.S. necessary. Previous presidents have transited in U.S. cities when flying to visit allies.