Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

On the morning of March 2, President Tsai Ing-wen received the credentials of Limasene Teatu, Tuvalu's new ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Republic of China. During the ceremony, President Tsai expressed hope for continued enhancement of diplomatic ties between the two countries, and called for further cooperation and exchanges around developing green energy and responding to global warming.

In remarks, President Tsai noted that Ambassador Teatu, who has previously held many important posts in Tuvalu, is a senior government official and indispensable aide to Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sosene Sopoaga. Her outstanding abilities, the president remarked, are well recognized by the ruling and opposition camps in Tuvalu as well as the general public. President Tsai then expressed confidence that, with Ambassador Teatu's assistance, Taiwan-Tuvalu relations will certainly grow stronger.

The president pointed out that diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Tuvalu date back 38 years, and as a fellow Pacific island nation Tuvalu has for many years strongly supported Taiwan's participation in specialized agencies of the United Nations. President Tsai expressed gratitude for this support and emphasized that Taiwan, as a member of the international community, has never wavered in its desire to contribute to the international community. She also asked Tuvalu to continue speaking in support of Taiwan's international position so that our country can have more opportunities to engage with the rest of the world.

President Tsai stated that development of green energy has been a key policy objective of the Taiwan government since she took office in May of last year, and noted that Tuvalu hopes to convert completely to renewable energy for all its power needs by 2020. Taiwan and Tuvalu have had many cooperation and assistance programs in the past, and in the future Taiwan will continue working to promote the use of renewable energy in Tuvalu. In addition to helping Tuvalu achieve sustainable development, Taiwan also hopes to contribute more to the global effort to develop renewable energy and mitigate global warming.

President Tsai stressed that the issue of global warming is a challenge that island nations must deal with. She said that Taiwan will act in accordance with the principle of "steadfast diplomacy and mutual assistance for mutual benefits," and expressed hope that Taiwan and Tuvalu can engage in more discussions on ways to assist each other.

Among those on hand for the ceremony were Deputy Secretary-General to the President Yao Jen-to (姚人多) and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Leo Chen-jan Lee (李澄然).