President Ma Ying-jeou, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC (Taiwan), welcomed Republic of Palau President Johnson Toribiong and Mrs. Toribiong to Taiwan on the morning of February 23, when Palau’s First Couple arrived at the Presidential Office for a state visit.
President Ma said it is rare for a visiting head of state to have such a deep understanding of the ROC (Taiwan) on his or her first visit here. President Toribiong, however, previously served as Palau’s Ambassador to the ROC for eight years, which explains his thorough understanding of Taiwan. In addition, Palau is only a short three-hour-plus flight from Taiwan and direct flights operate between the two countries. The president commented that relations have been quite close in the 10 years since the ROC (Taiwan) and Palau established formal diplomatic ties.
The president said Palau and the ROC (Taiwan) maintain extremely close trade and investment relations. In addition, Palau is a favorite tourist destination for Taiwan tourists. Each year, many people from Taiwan visit Palau to enjoy the special ocean scenery of that country, especially the clear blue ocean water, sandy beaches as far as the eye can see, and the radiant sunshine, the president said. President Ma added that a number of his friends who have visited Palau have strongly recommended that he make a trip there.
The president said that President Toribiong is an extremely intelligent and savvy politician who has held a number of important posts in Palau over the years. As a result, he won strong support among his country’s people in Palau’s presidential election held in November of last year. President Ma pointed out that his counterpart visited Taiwan after winning the presidency, but at that time was still Ambassador to the ROC. The president noted that President Toribiong obtained a law degree in the United States and focused on Law of the Sea in his graduate work, adding that he is confident the two will be able to exchange many experiences in the future.
President Toribiong expressed his appreciation to the ROC government for the warm reception provided to him and his delegation. He said that his tenure as Ambassador to the ROC helped to foster a deep fondness for Taiwan. He will cooperate with President Ma in the future based on this foundation, working to continue to strengthen relations between the two countries, he said.