President Lee Teng-hui and King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV of the Kingdom of Tonga this morning signed a joint communique confirming their strong desire to continue close collaboration with each other for the mutual benefit of the two countries and their peoples.
The signing ceremony is held at the Taipei Guest House. Madame Lee, Vice President and Premier Lien Chan, ranking ROC officials, and Queen Halaevalu Mata'aho of the Kingdom of Tonga were also present.
Before the ceremony, the King and the Queen led their delegation to bid President and Madame Lee farewell and expressed their gratitude for the hospitality the ROC government and its people have accorded them.
In the Joint Communique, President Lee accepted with great pleasure a cordial invitation, extended to him by King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, to visit the Kingdom of Tonga. Such a visit will be arranged through diplomatic channels at an opportune time.
The full text of the Joint Communique is as follows:
At the invitation of His Excellency Lee Teng-hui, President of the Republic of China, His Majesty Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, King of the Kingdom of Tonga, visited the Republic of China from July 30 to August 2, 1997. King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV was accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Halaevalu Mata'aho and a delegation from the Kingdom of Tonga.
During the visit, King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV and President Lee exchanged views on the world situation and various matters of bilateral cooperation in a cordial and friendly atmosphere. The two heads of state agreed that all nations should, based on the principles of sovereignty and equality, resolve international disputes through dialogue, negotiation and other peaceful means. Both leaders reiterated their desire to cooperate closely for the promotion of peace and prosperity in the two countries, in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world.
King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV stressed that the Republic of China would further contribute to world peace and prosperity and to the economic development of the developing countries if it could actively take part in international organizations and activities. His Majesty reaffirmed his firm support for the Republic of China's bid to participate in international organizations.
King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV highly commended the Republic of China for its remarkable accomplishments in political democratization and economic development these past years. He also took the opportunity to express his sincere appreciation for the assistance extended by the Republic of China to the Kingdom of Tonga in agriculture development, vocational training and other areas of national development.
King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV and President Lee expressed their satisfaction with the cordial ties of friendship and cooperation that exist between the two countries. Both heads of state confirmed their strong desire to continue close collaboration with each other for the mutual benefit of the two countries and their peoples.
Before leaving Taipei, King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV expressed his sincere gratitude to His Excellency President Lee and to his government for the warm welcome accorded to Their Majesties and the rest of the delegation.
President Lee accepted with great pleasure a cordial invitation, extended to him by King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, to visit the Kingdom of Tonga. Such a visit will be arranged through diplomatic channels at an opportune time.
Signed in Taipei, on the second day of August of the year nineteen hundred and ninety seven, corresponding to the second day of the eighth month of the eighty-sixth year of the Republic of China.