By Sarah Wu&nbsp;and&nbsp;Yimou Lee
TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan Vice President William Lai will stop in&nbsp;New&nbsp;York&nbsp;and&nbsp;San&nbsp;Francisco&nbsp;in the United States on his way to&nbsp;and&nbsp;from Paraguay for the inauguration of its&nbsp;new&nbsp;president,&nbsp;Taiwan's&nbsp;presidential office said on Wednesday.
Taiwan's&nbsp;government last month announced Lai's&nbsp;transits without specifying details, drawing ire from Beijing, which slammed Lai as a separatist. The top U.S. diplomat in Taipei urged China not to take "provocative" action in response to the brief visits, describing the&nbsp;transits as routine.
Lai, the front-runner for the island's presidential vote in January, will stop in&nbsp;New&nbsp;York&nbsp;on Aug. 12 on his way to Paraguay&nbsp;and&nbsp;in&nbsp;San&nbsp;Francisco&nbsp;on Aug. 16 on his way back to Taiwan, the office said.
"This should not create discomfort for other parties or become an excuse to deepen conflict," Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Yui told the&nbsp;news conference at the Presidential Office.
Yui said the arrangement for the U.S.&nbsp;transit&nbsp;was based on the principles of comfort, safety, convenience&nbsp;and&nbsp;dignity.
China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, has stepped up military&nbsp;and&nbsp;political pressure over the past three years to push the island&nbsp;to accept Beijing's sovereignty claims, which the government in Taipei strongly rejects.
China staged large-scale war games around Taiwan last August, angered by a visit to Taiwan by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,&nbsp;and&nbsp;in April, responding to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen meeting current House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles, while&nbsp;transition back from a visit to Central America.
The United States, like most countries, has no formal relations with Taiwan, but is the island's most important international backer&nbsp;and&nbsp;supplier of arms.
(Reporting By Sarah Wu&nbsp;and&nbsp;Yimou Lee; Editing by Jacqueline Wong&nbsp;and&nbsp;Gerry Doyle)

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Taiwan's VP to transit in New York and San Francisco