Slammed by Beijing as a "complete troublemaker," deputy head of the Taiwan region Lai Ching-te made two low-profile "stopovers" in the United States while on a seven-day trip to Paraguay. The trip has been condemned by Chinese officials as a provocation of Taiwan independence, and PLA military drills around Taiwan have begun in response to the visits. What more do we know about Lai Ching-te? Where might Lai push the already-tense cross-Strait ties? And as the Taiwan question is at the very core of China's national interests, how might China-U.S. ties be affected?