President Ma Ying-jeou arrived in Tuvalu on the morning of March 23, marking another leg in his trip to the South Pacific to visit the ROC's six allies in the region. Because of the short runway at Funafuti International Airport, the president and his delegation flew in a chartered ATR72 to the island nation. The aircraft arrived at Funafuti at 11 a.m. (7 a.m. Taipei time). Tuvalu Acting Governor General Kamuta Latasi and Prime Minister Apisai Ielemia, along with members of the Tuvalu Cabinet, were at the airport to welcome President Ma.
After being honored by Tuvalu's color guard, President Ma and his delegation walked to Tuvalu's parliament building, where a traditional welcoming ceremony was held.
President Ma remarked that Tuvalu was the first nation in the South Pacific region to establish diplomatic relations with the ROC. The two countries have enjoyed close interaction and a continued expansion of cooperation in the 30-plus years since relations were established in 1979, he said. The president furthermore expressed his hopes that this visit will help to pave the way for an even stronger friendship between the two countries in the future.
Around noon, President Ma visited Nauti Primary School, where he was welcomed by the students and the principal. The president then made remarks and gave soccer balls to the children as gifts, saying he hopes that they will enjoy sports and a healthy life. The students in return presented a painting they made to President Ma.
In order to understand the severe impact of rising sea levels upon Tuvalu, President Ma visited places on the island that have been threatened by global warming and rising waters. The president said that what he is seeing has made a deep impression on him. He added that he admires and supports the perseverance displayed by the government and people of Tuvalu in the face of this challenge. President Ma also said he hopes that everyone will focus their attention on the issue of global warming and continue to work together in the pursuit of sustainable development. The president then went to a harbor and presided over a ceremony issuing invitations to seamen and observers to come to Taiwan for training. He also boarded the Taumoana purse seine vessel, which was jointly financed by Taiwan and Tuvalu, and handed out invitations to the seamen and observers on the boat, welcoming them to come to Taiwan for training.
In the afternoon, President Ma planted a coconut tree in front of Tuvalu's central government building, symbolizing the stable alliance between the two countries. Prime Minister Ielemia then hosted a state banquet for President Ma at the parliament building.
In remarks at the banquet, President Ma noted that Prime Minister Ielemia had expressed appreciation for the assistance the ROC has provided the island nation over the past 31 years. At the same time, Tuvalu has spared no effort in supporting and assisting the ROC, he said. For instance, Tuvalu has supported the ROC's participation in worldwide organizations, such as the World Health Organization and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and regional bodies, such as the Pacific Islands Forum. The president particularly mentioned that after Typhoon Morakot caused devastating landslides and flooding in southern Taiwan in early August last year, the government and people of Tuvalu generously donated what amounted to 1% of their nation's GDP to Taiwan. This set a world record, and was equivalent to each citizen of Tuvalu donating US$17.5, he said. This is a perfect example of the brotherhood that exists between the two countries, the president said. President Ma commented that people in Taiwan were deeply moved by this gesture, and expressed his deepest gratitude on behalf of the government and people of the ROC.
President Ma stressed that the ROC has become an economically developed nation and as such should do what it can to assist other nations that need assistance. It is with this in mind that the governments of the ROC and Tuvalu have long engaged in close cooperation in a number of fields, which has yielded many results.
With regards to cooperation between the two countries, President Ma said that the ROC has decided to hold a Regional Observer Programme, inviting 20 students from six allies to come to Taiwan. Six students from Tuvalu will travel to Taiwan in July to participate in seminars and workshops, where they will learn to serve as fisheries observers.
The president said that he personally is quite concerned about the impact on Tuvalu of rising sea levels brought about by climate change and the erosion of Tuvalu's shoreline. In recent years, he said, Tuvalu has at many important international conferences, especially the summit on climate change in Copenhagen in December 2009, advocated reductions in greenhouse gases in an attempt to defend its territorial integrity. Tuvalu's calls have been applauded by environmental activists the world over. The president said that while the ROC is not a party to the UNFCCC, it still embraces the spirit of the convention and will respond to the call by Tuvalu. President Ma added that the ROC is willing to participate in global initiatives to fight climate change and fulfill its duty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.