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On the afternoon of November 30, President Lai Ching-te delivered remarks before embarking on a seven-day, six-night visit to Pacific allies the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and the Republic of Palau under the theme “Smart and Sustainable Development for a Prosperous Austronesian Region.” In his remarks, the president stated that he hopes to promote core objectives in the three major areas of smart sustainability, sustainable democracy, and sustainable diplomatic ties. He said that based on the values of democracy, peace, and prosperity, we will continue to expand cooperation and deepen our partnerships so that the world can see that Taiwan is not only a model democracy, but also a key force for promoting global peace, stability, prosperity, and development.
A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows:
I am about to lead a delegation on a seven-day, six-night visit to our allies theMarshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau under the theme “Smart and Sustainable Development for a Prosperous Austronesian Region.” We will be transiting through Hawaii and Guam, and I want to thank the government of the United States for providing assistance based on the principles of safety, dignity, comfort, and convenience so that this trip may go smoothly.
In May this year, President Hilda C. Heine of the Marshall Islands, Prime Minister Feleti Teo of Tuvalu, and President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. of Palau all led delegations to Taiwan to participate in the inauguration ceremony for me and Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao. Last month, Prime Minister Teo visited once again as chief guest for the National Day celebrations. We all share profound bonds, and our allies have all supported Taiwan through concrete actions. Therefore, for my first trip abroad after taking office, I will be visiting these three Pacific allies to promote core sustainability objectives in three major areas.
The first area is smart sustainability. The world is changing fast, with Taiwan and our allies facing challenges including climate change, net-zero transition, the smart technology era, and digital transformation. Taiwan must actively engage with the world, and closely cooperate with allies to establish resilient response systems so that all of us can develop sustainably.
The second area is sustainable democracy. These three allies all share Austronesian culture and close kinships with Taiwan, not only providing mutual support during the pandemic, but also supporting Taiwan’s international participation at numerous international venues. These three allies also share democratic values with Taiwan. Through this trip, I hope to show the world that we, together with these enthusiastic Pacific Island countries, are upholding democratic values and will continue to cooperate going forward on that path.
The third area is sustainable diplomatic ties. This year, Taiwan celebrated 26 years of diplomatic ties with the Marshall Islands, 45 years with Tuvalu, and 25 years with Palau, and on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I want to express my sincerest congratulations. Through on-site visits and dialogue, I look forward to discovering more opportunities for cooperation and both deepening and elevating our diplomatic relations with all three allies.
This trip marks a new era in values-based diplomacy. The people of Taiwan aspire to democracy, peace, and prosperity, and as president, these are the values I must actively promote. Based on the values of democracy, peace, and prosperity and working together with our allies, we will continue to expand cooperation and deepen our partnerships so that the world can see that Taiwan is not only a model democracy, but also a key force for promoting global peace, stability, prosperity, and development.
In the coming days, I will share experiences from my visit on social media platforms. I invite all my fellow citizens to join me on this journey, be part of our diplomatic efforts, and help Taiwan engage with the world. Let us start this journey together.
Among those at the airport to see President Lai off were Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ambassador Andrea Clare Bowman, Palau Ambassador David Adams Orrukem, and Tuvaluan Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Silafaga Lalua O’Brien.
