After completing his three-day, two-night visit to Guatemala, President Ma boarded an aircraft on March 16 (Wednesday) at 9:55 a.m. (Taipei time: 11:55 p.m., March 16) to fly to Belize and continue his Central American trip, codenamed the Forever Peaceful Project. After a flight of roughly one hour, the president and his delegation arrived at Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport at 10:50 a.m. (Taipei time: 12:50 a.m., March 17).
After the chartered plane landed, ROC Ambassador to Belize Benjamin Ho (何登煌) and the chief of protocol at the Belize Ministry of Foreign Affairs boarded the aircraft to welcome President Ma. Belize Governor-General Sir Colville Young and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington were also at the door to the plane to welcome the president. After the broadcast of both national anthems, Governor-General Young escorted President Ma down a red carpet where he was greeted with a military salute by a guard of honor. Shortly thereafter, President Ma shook hands with local expatriates who had come to the airport to greet him. The atmosphere was enthusiastic and joyous.
President Ma and the delegation then boarded a bus to attend a welcome luncheon hosted by Governor-General Young.
In remarks at the luncheon, President Ma stated that this was the second time he has traveled as president to visit Belize, and that the nation's scenic beauty as well as its people’s hospitality made a deep impression on him during his previous visit seven years before. On this second visit to Belize, said the president, he felt very honored that Governor-General Young had greeted him at the airport and was now hosting the luncheon. Speaking on behalf of the entire delegation, the president extended sincere thanks to the governor-general as well as the government and people of Belize.
Commenting on Taiwan-Belize relations, President Ma pointed out that ties have been close and friendly since the ROC and Belize established diplomatic relations in 1989. The two countries both uphold democracy, love freedom and peace, and respect human rights and cultural diversity. They share the same values, and upon this basis have established a deep friendship.
Noting the sustained and firm support of the government and people of Belize for the ROC's meaningful participation in important international organizations—such as the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change—and for speaking on behalf of Taiwan at numerous international venues, the president expressed his sincere gratitude.
President Ma mentioned that Governor-General Young is a man of many talents, and wrote Pataki Full, a collection of seven short stories that has been translated into Chinese. When the governor-general visited Taiwan last May he held a book launch and released the book in Taiwan. That was a big day for bilateral cultural exchange, and marked the first time ever that the governor-general of a foreign nation had published a book in Taiwan.
President Ma finished by expressing hope that this trip would further promote bilateral relations between Taiwan and Belize, and that the two countries will work together for the well-being of their people.
After concluding his remarks, President Ma paid an official visit to Prime Minister Dean Oliver Barrow at his Belize City office. The president then had meetings at his hotel that afternoon for wide-ranging discussions on matters of shared interest with Prime Minister Timothy Sylvester Harris of St. Christopher and Nevis, Prime Minister Kenny D. Anthony of St. Lucia, and Prime Minister Ralph Everard Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. After the last of these meetings, the president took part in a roundtable discussion where the three prime ministers were all gathered together.
During remarks at the roundtable discussion, President Ma said he was very moved that the prime ministers of the ROC's three diplomatic allies in the eastern Caribbean—St. Christopher and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines—had each made a special trip to meet with him in Belize. President Ma added that he had already known the four prime ministers he was meeting with that day for some time, and felt very happy that they could come together and share their thoughts that evening.
Mentioning his private meetings just a bit earlier with each of the four prime ministers, which featured wide-ranging discussions about bilateral relations, President Ma said that he benefitted greatly by reviewing the results of cooperation with each prime minister and learning about the opportunities and challenges facing each country. The president once again thanked Belize and the other three Caribbean diplomatic allies for maintaining their longstanding diplomatic relations with the ROC, and for the strong support they've given Taiwan within the international community.
Noting that Taiwan had just carried out a democratic election for a new president and national legislature in January, President Ma stated that he would leave office on May 20, thus ending a career of more than 30 years in public service. During his eight years leading the nation, said the president, Taiwan has pursued a policy of "viable diplomacy," seeking peaceful dialogue with the mainland while at the same time doing everything possible to help diplomatic allies implement programs designed to benefit their people. Bilateral cooperative ties have been deepened in a process that has yielded mutual benefits and shared prosperity, and has won plaudits from diplomatic allies and the larger international community.
President Ma reiterated that there is a continuity and consistency to the ROC's foreign policy because the ruling and opposition parties hold to a shared consensus that the ROC truly does wish to build upon the already strong relationships with all of its diplomatic allies by engaging in further cooperation, providing mutual support, and striding together toward greater prosperity and sustainable development. The president also expressed hope that the international community would continue to support the ROC, "and support my successor."
President Ma also pointed out that the world's governments will need to change with the times if they are to address today's rapidly changing global conditions and the many unconventional issues and challenges that we now face. Just last month, he said, heads of state from throughout the Caribbean region gathered together at the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) summit in Belize, where participants exchanged views on regional matters of shared concern including the Zika virus, the response of island nations to global warming, and the impact of the poor international financial environment upon banking operations in the Caribbean region. The ROC has cooperated closely for many years with its diplomatic allies in the Caribbean in such fields as agriculture, renewable energy, information and communication technology, medicine and public health, and human resources development, and the results have been outstanding. As a member of the global village, the ROC is very willing to share its development experiences and provide related assistance so as to contribute to progress and development in the region.
That evening, President Ma hosted a banquet for Prime Minister Barrow and the three visiting prime ministers from the eastern Caribbean. In remarks, President Ma mentioned an old Chinese saying about how "it is a great pleasure to meet up with old friends while you're away from home," which is a perfect description of his gathering in Belize with Prime Minister Barrow and the other three prime ministers.
Although the ROC and the nations of Central America and the Caribbean are far apart geographically, said the president, they support each other, and cooperative relations are growing constantly closer. Since coming to office in 2008, he has actively sought to deepen ties with all diplomatic allies by sharing Taiwan's development experiences. The scope of cooperation includes infrastructure, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, animal husbandry, information and communication technology, medicine and public health, and human resources development. The wise leadership of those present, he said, has spurred rapid progress in their respective countries.
President Ma stated that the ROC's diplomatic allies have long given resolute support and assistance to the ROC in its quest for meaningful participation in international affairs, for which the government and people of Taiwan are immensely grateful. It has been very moving, he said, to take advantage of this visit to Belize to renew acquaintances with the assembled leaders, and to gain a renewed sense of the close cooperation and mutually supportive ties between the ROC and its diplomatic allies in the Caribbean, not to mention their shared belief that "we're all in this together."
President Ma pointed out that the ROC had carried out elections this past January 16 for president, vice president, and the national legislature, and said that he would leave office on May 20. He expressed hope that all the leaders present would be able to travel to the ROC to attend the inauguration of the new president. He said that there is a continuity and consistency to the ROC's foreign policy, and expressed confidence that the incoming administration will continue to value its diplomatic allies in the Caribbean, and will maintain the many cooperation projects that are currently in place.
And finally, President Ma invited his distinguished guests to raise a toast to the prosperity of Belize, St. Christopher and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and to lasting friendship between these nations and the ROC.