Vice President Wu Den-yih and the delegation he is leading on Project Sustained Friendship arrived at Las Americas International Airport in the Dominican Republic capital of Santo Domingo at 1:00 p.m. on August 15 local time (1:00 a.m. on August 16 Taipei time). ROC Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Thomas Hou (侯平福) and Dominican Republic Deputy Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Trullols boarded the aircraft to welcome Vice President Wu and the delegation to the Dominican Republic to attend the inauguration ceremonies of President-elect Danilo Medina Sanchez.
Shortly after arrival, the vice president headed to his hotel. He received an enthusiastic welcome from representatives of the overseas compatriot community, as well as family members from the ROC's diplomatic corps in that nation. Vice President Wu immediately commenced his itinerary after receiving a briefing from Ambassador Hou, paying visits to Dominican Republic Vice President Rafael Alburquerque, Vice President-elect Margarita Cedeno de Fernandezwho was also the First Lady of outgoing President Leonel Fernandez , President-elect Medina, and other high-ranking political figures. Vice President Wu and these leaders exchanged opinions on bilateral relations and a broad range of topics of mutual interest.
During the meeting with Vice President Alburquerque, Vice President Wu remarked that his counterpart last year led a delegation from the Dominican Republic to Taiwan to participate in the ROC's centenary celebrations, and is a longstanding promoter of friendly relations with the ROC. In particular, Vice President Albuquerque is an internationally renowned expert on labor, Vice President Wu pointed out, adding that the ROC government places great importance on the rights of laborers and has promoted a number of reform bills in this area. Vice President Wu expressed his hopes that Vice President Albuquerque will take time out of his busy schedule after leaving office to again visit Taiwan to promote bilateral ties and mutual understanding.
During his meeting with Vice President-elect Cedeno, Vice President Wu praised her deep commitment to public welfare work assisting women and children, as well as aiding the poor. Vice President-elect Cedeno thanked the ROC government for its longstanding assistance, and stressed that after she takes office she will work to continue to strengthen bilateral cooperation and promote various technical exchange initiatives.
After the conclusion of that meeting, Vice President Wu visited the office of President-elect Medina, where he personally delivered a message of congratulations from President Ma Ying-jeou. During the ensuing discussions, Vice President Wu said that Taiwan several decades ago instituted land reform, and it experienced an economic development process that saw it move from light industry to heavy industry. Over that period, he noted that Taiwan had received international assistance, and now with the ability to assist other countries, it naturally is pleased to share its experience with its friends and allies. He said that in the future the ROC will continue to strengthen bilateral cooperation projects with the Dominican Republic in the fields of agriculture and vocational education, thereby enhancing bilateral relations.
In the evening, Vice President Wu, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Shen-Yeaw Ko (柯森耀), and Ambassador Hou attended a banquet hosted by Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez for the heads of state, prime ministers, and vice presidents leading congratulatory delegations to the Dominican Republic. Vice President Wu and leaders from other countries expressed their best wishes to the Dominican Republic.