Vice President Annette Lu met with three rescued Nauru fishermen and their families at the Nauru airport on February 1. The three fishermen were recently rescued at sea by a Taiwan fishing boat, which then took them to the Marshall Islands. They took the vice president's chartered airplane to return to Nauru. Attending the meeting in the morning was also Nauru President Marcus Stephen. Vice President Lu asked the three fishermen about their ordeal in which they drifted at sea for 11 days. She also inquired as to whether the three intend to continue as fishermen. One of the rescued fishermen said jokingly that he no longer wants to catch fish, but to go skin diving instead. This led to a round of laughter among everyone. Meanwhile, the mother of one of the fishermen told Vice President Lu that to express her gratitude to the Taiwan fishermen for saving her son, her family has decided to name a grandson soon to be born Formosa Chinfone. The name will memorialize the Taiwan fishing boat, the Cing Fong 767, that saved the three fishermen.
Vice President Lu said that last month, the Taiwan fishing boat miraculously rescued the three Nauru fishermen, who had been adrift at sea for 11 days. Even more amazing is that after the fishermen were rescued, the Taiwan fishing boat took them to the Marshall Islands capital of Majuro. If Nauru President Stephen had not invited Taiwan to participate in Nauru's celebration marking its 40th anniversary of independence, a chartered plane form Taiwan would not have been in Nauru. This would have made it impossible to predict when the three rescued fishermen could have returned home. She said this is a perfect example of the saying, "Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors." She said the Nauru government is friendly to Taiwan and the Taiwan fishermen also did a good deed. She said the timing of all of the events was such a coincidence. Vice President Lu said she was pleased that the Taiwan plane was able to be of assistance in bringing the three back home.
Vice President Lu also answered questions from foreign reporters who were at the meeting. In addition to briefly describing how the Taiwan delegation was able to lend assistance to the three fishermen in returning home, she also expressed her opinion on the topic of whether China will entice Taiwan's South Pacific allies. The vice president said there is no measure that China is not willing to resort to, and it will do anything it can to harm Taiwan. She said China hopes to steal Taiwan's diplomatic allies. The people of Taiwan, however, are well-intentioned and are devoted to peace. She said anyone understanding the people of Taiwan will without doubt like us. "We need to have faith in ourselves," the vice president said, adding that Taiwan must also have faith in its diplomatic allies.