Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

On the morning of June 19, President Tsai Ing-wen met with House Speaker Laura Tucker-Longsworth and Senate President Lee Mark Chang from Belize. President Tsai thanked Belize and Prime Minister Dean Barrow for their long-term support for Taiwan's international participation. She also expressed hope that Taiwan and Belize can work together to continue promoting trade cooperation and exchanges, and deepening the bilateral friendship.

President Tsai stated that she was pleased to welcome the delegation from Belize, led by two parliamentary leaders. Over the past two years, she said, Taiwan and Belize have enjoyed more frequent interaction. The two countries have had high-level reciprocal visits, she said, and Belize has participated in several exhibitions in Taiwan to promote tourism and specialty foods, promoting people-to-people exchanges.

Parliamentary diplomacy is also an important part of the bilateral relationship, President Tsai pointed out, particularly for her guests, because they are such key members of the Belize parliament. Speaker Tucker-Longsworth has long been committed to healthcare and widely praised for the sense of fairness she brings to House affairs. Senate President Chang was the first ethnic Chinese senator in Belize, and the first ethnic Chinese Senate President. He's also a successful entrepreneur, a well-known gourmet, and always happy to serve Taiwanese people there.

President Tsai mentioned that Senator Stephen A. Duncan, one of the guests on hand, is a successful banker, and quite influential in Caribbean financial circles. So each of the guests has expertise in a specialized area, and by visiting Taiwan together, the president believes that they'll strengthen the bilateral relationship, and give Taiwan valuable suggestions about future cooperation.

In March of this year, President Tsai noted, a coffee industry group from Taiwan was in Belize, and in the beginning of June, one of our economic cooperation teams was also in Belize. Both groups were looking for business opportunities. So the president hopes that the two countries can work together to promote trade cooperation and exchanges, and continue to deepen the bilateral friendship.

President Tsai also took the opportunity to specially thank Belize and Prime Minister Barrow for their long-term support for Taiwan in the international arena—at the World Health Assembly, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. In closing, the president asked her guests to convey her best wishes to Prime Minister Barrow and wished them a smooth and successful visit.