Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

President Tsai Ing-wen departed on October 28 (Saturday) at 8:30 a.m. Taipei time on a trip with the theme "Sustainable Austronesia, Working Together for a Better Future—2017 State Visits to Pacific Allies." In remarks delivered over the aircraft's public address system, the president thanked colleagues at the Office of the President, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other related government agencies for their trip planning and preparations, and called on everyone in her delegation to work together to advance Taiwan's diplomatic efforts.

The president first thanked the staff from the Office of the President, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and all the agencies that participated in preparatory work for the trip. She also noted that the preparations were quite challenging, adding that diplomacy is a cumulative affair, and the positive ties that Taiwan enjoys with its diplomatic allies in the Pacific are the result of the collective efforts of the past several presidents.

The president remarked that seven years have passed since the last visit to Pacific diplomatic allies by former President Ma Ying-jeou. In the interim, the Asia-Pacific regional situation has changed in many ways. On this trip, she said, in addition to strengthening friendships, she also hoped to see whether further progress could be made on the many cooperative programs between Taiwan and its Pacific diplomatic allies over last several years.

President Tsai emphasized that the theme for this trip, "Sustainable Austronesia, Working Together for a Better Future" reflects the government's expectations for this visit. Our Pacific island friends are currently facing a number of challenges, she said, and whether the issue is climate change, healthcare, or environmental sustainability, Taiwan is a member of international society and has the ability and responsibility to work together with our friends to overcome these challenges.

The president also specially thanked the 35 journalists traveling with the delegation, and said there was a very full itinerary, which could be a bit of a challenge. She then stated that their reporting is necessary to Taiwan's successful cooperation with its diplomatic allies in the Pacific, because we rely on reporters to inform people in Taiwan about conditions there, and inform the international community.

And finally, President Tsai also thanked the China Airlines crew members for their thorough preparations and service. "After the plane lands," she said, "there will be a whole series of pre-arranged activities, so let's all work together for Taiwan diplomacy."