Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

On the morning of November 8, after welcoming Prime Minister Terrance Drew of the Federation of St. Christopher and Nevis with military honors, President Tsai Ing-wen received the credentials of new St. Christopher and Nevis Ambassador Donya Francis, and, accompanied by Vice President Lai Ching-te, met with Prime Minister Drew for bilateral talks. In remarks at the meeting, President Tsai thanked St. Christopher and Nevis for its longstanding support for Taiwan's international participation, and said that the people of Taiwan were touched by Prime Minister Drew's speaking up for Taiwan at this year's United Nations General Assembly. The president also emphasized that Taiwan and St. Christopher and Nevis have stood together in facing the challenges of the pandemic, and said she looks forward to further deepening cooperation to revitalize our tourism sectors.

A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows:

Prime Minister Drew, thank you for once again traveling to Taiwan. This is your first visit in your capacity as prime minister, making this trip especially meaningful. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I would like to extend a most heartfelt welcome to you.

Today, St. Christopher and Nevis issued a tropical cyclone alert. We are very concerned about the potential effects of the storm and hope that everyone remains safe. If you have any needs, Taiwan is always ready to provide assistance.

St. Christopher and Nevis is a beautiful country. When I visited three years ago, I was deeply impressed by the lovely scenery. During that visit, I received a decoration from Governor-General Tapley Seaton, with whom I planted a golden trumpet tree as a testimony to the deep-rooted friendship between our nations.

I also attended the groundbreaking ceremony for Pinney's Beach Park, and I recall that its design featured mosaic murals of drawings by children from both our countries. The Taiwanese contractor has since completed construction of the park, which has become a prime symbol of our joint efforts to promote tourism.

I also brought a fact-finding group from Taiwan's tourism sector with me on that visit. Our goals were clear: to exchange experiences in tourism development and jointly open up more business opportunities.

In recent years, international tourism has been hard-hit by the pandemic. But last month, Taiwan loosened border restrictions, making international travel and exchanges much easier.

Taiwan and St. Christopher and Nevis have stood together in facing the challenges of the pandemic, and we look forward to further deepening cooperation to revitalize our tourism sectors. We hope to help more Taiwanese people discover the beauty of the Caribbean, and we warmly welcome our friends from St. Christopher and Nevis to visit Taiwan.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank St. Christopher and Nevis for its longstanding support for Taiwan's international participation. The people of Taiwan were touched by Prime Minister Drew's speaking up for Taiwan at this year's United Nations General Assembly. I speak for all Taiwanese in extending my heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Drew.

Just now, I was delighted to receive the credentials of Ambassador Francis. On behalf of the government and people of Republic of China (Taiwan), I would like to congratulate Ambassador Francis on his new role. With the assistance of Ambassador Francis, I look forward to facilitating closer exchanges and realizing more fruitful collaboration between Taiwan and St. Christopher and Nevis. Thank you.

In his remarks, Prime Minister Drew said he was honored to make his first visit to Taiwan since his inauguration, and expressed gratitude to the Taiwan government for its excellent arrangements for his delegation's visit. He also thanked the people of Taiwan for their warm hospitality, adding that his delegation has been truly inspired by what they have seen thus far and that they look forward to a productive visit.

Prime Minister Drew assured the president of his administration's firm commitment to building and further strengthening the diplomatic relations which our countries established close to four decades ago. He said his country is truly proud of its strident advocacy for Taiwan, and stated that the Republic of China (Taiwan) can help the global community solve some of its most complex problems, including in areas such as health, economics, and the environment.

In terms of bilateral ties, Prime Minister Drew noted that without precious metals, gems, or fossil fuels, St. Kitts and Nevis places a key focus on human resource development for its continued growth, and said his delegation hopes to continue discussions on this trip to ensure that more young people from his country can receive tertiary education at universities and other institutions of higher learning in Taiwan. He observed that the quality of Taiwan's tertiary education is evident from Ambassador Donya Francis, who himself studied in Taiwan, and added that many public servants from his country have benefited from Taiwan's high-quality education opportunities before returning home to contribute to the national development of St. Kitts and Nevis and the strengthening of relations between our two countries.

Prime Minister Drew also mentioned that, as minister with responsibility for health and wellness, he has a keen interest in advancing cooperation with Taiwan on healthcare infrastructure and service delivery in order to achieve his country's development objectives.

In closing, Prime Minister Drew expressed confidence that, by building on our rich legacy of decades of bilateral engagement and development cooperation, relations between Taiwan and St. Kitts and Nevis will continue to grow from strength to strength, elevating our peoples to unprecedented heights of development.

Among the members of the delegation were St. Christopher and Nevis Minister of Foreign Affairs Denzil Douglas, Nevis Premier Mark Brantley, Minister of Environment Joyelle Clarke, and Junior Minister for Youth Empowerment and Social Development, Gender Affairs, Aging and Disabilities Isalean Phillip. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by St. Christopher and Nevis Ambassador Donya Francis.