A Taiwan naval fleet is heading for the Marshall Islands despite a US ban on the visit, a defense ministry spokesman said yesterday.
The fleet has left Palau and is due to take 26 days in the training voyage to the former US trust territory, he said.
But he would not say how Taipei was negotiating with the US over the dispute.
"Efforts are still underway. We are not going to give up until the last minute," he said.
The US State Department informed Majuro officials that the visit of three Taiwan naval cadet training vessels would not be permitted, invoking its defense veto power under the Compact of Free Association for the first time since it was implemented in 1986.
In an interview, US Ambassador Michael Senko acknowledged that pressure had come from China.
"It's not in our interests to have Taiwan naval vessels make port calls in the Marshalls" because of the US government's policy of recognizing only the Beijing government, he said.
The Taiwan naval fleet -- a Perry class frigate, a French-built Lafayette class frigate, and a supply vessel -- are due to visit the Marshall Islands before crossing to Central America, local media have said.
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