Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian returned from a contentious trip to Latin America Friday acknowledging "hardship" after a row with the United States and criticism over unannounced stop-overs.
Chen was greeted by 1,000 cheering supporters as he landed here after a nine-day visit to Paraguay and Costa Rica, via surprise stops in Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Libya and Indonesia.
The independence-leaning Chen had rejected the United States' offer of refuelling visits in Alaska or Hawaii after he was barred from stopping in New York or San Francisco.
"There was a lot of hardship in this trip but we were not deterred. We upheld Taiwan's dignity … and successfully visited Libya and Indonesia," Chen told reporters shortly after landing.
"China resorted to all measures to suppress Taiwan (in the international community) but we can't step back and we have to stand united," Chen said, adding that Taiwan "is a sovereign country with dignity."
He said ties with the United States had not been affected by the dispute over the refuelling stops, apparently linked to his dissolving of a council overseeing reunification with the mainland.
The two sides "maintained close and direct negotiations and shared mutual interests", said Chen, who has previously made unofficial visits to New York, Miami, Anchorage, Seattle, Houston and Los Angeles.
The United States is Taipei's main military backer and is treaty-bound to protect the island from invasion by China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory.
Rejecting Washington's offer of a stop in Alaska, Chen made surprise transits in Abu Dhabi and Amsterdam on his way to Paraguay and Costa Rica — two of the only 25 countries which recognize Taipei rather than Beijing.
On the return journey, he transited the Dominican Republic and made unannounced stops in Libya and Indonesia.
China rebuked Libya for allowing the visit, as it maintains diplomatic ties with Tripoli and opposes visits by Taiwanese leaders to its allies.
Beijing Friday also protested to Indonesia, another Chinese ally, for the stopover on the resort island of Batam.
"We demand Indonesia take practical action to fulfill its commitment to the one-China policy in order to maintain the overall friendly Sino-Indonesian relations," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in a statement.
Indonesia earlier criticised Chen for leaving the airport when he stopped on the island.
"The permit that was given was for a technical landing because there was some trouble," Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said, describing Chen's overnight stay as an "abuse of the permit that was given".
Taiwan's opposition seized on the surprise stopovers, describing the visit to Libya "astonishing" as it risked angering the United States.
But Chen's Democratic Progressive Party said he had upheld Taiwan's dignity and called the unannounced visits a diplomatic "breakthrough".
