Taiwan President Lai Ching-te is to visit three Pacific island nations in his first overseas trip since taking office.

The presidential office told reporters on Friday that Lai will leave Taiwan on November 30 and visit the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau between December 3 and 6.

The office did not provide a detailed schedule for the first three days of the trip. Media in Taiwan are reporting that Lai may visit the US state of Hawaii and the US territory of Guam, both located in the Pacific.

When Lai's predecessor Tsai Ing-wen took office in May 2016, Taiwan had diplomatic relations with 22 countries.

But the number has fallen to 12 as China intensified pressure on first Tsai's, and then Lai's, administrations.
Neither administration, of the Democratic Progressive Party, has accepted Beijing's claim that Taiwan is part of China.

China has repeatedly conducted large-scale military exercises around Taiwan, mobilizing aircraft carriers and a large number of planes. Lai's upcoming trip could prompt Beijing to step up pressure on Taiwan.