Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

On the morning of November 18, President Lai Ching-te, accompanied by Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao, met with Prime Minister Feleti Teo of Tuvalu at the Presidential Office following a welcome ceremony with military honors for him and his wife. The leaders also witnessed the signing of Taiwan-Tuvalu Kaitasi Treaty, the Agreement on Diversifying Fisheries Cooperation, and the Letter of Intent on Sports Exchange and Cooperation. In remarks, President Lai expressed hope that Taiwan will continue to expand and diversify exchanges and strengthen our cooperative partnership with Tuvalu as we jointly contribute even more to the world.

A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows:

Last December, I visited the beautiful country of Tuvalu on my first overseas trip as president. I want to thank Prime Minister Teo for the warm hospitality accorded to me by his government and the Tuvaluan people. I am delighted to meet in discussion with you again today. Taiwan and Tuvalu are members of the Austronesian family as well as staunch partners. After his appointment last year, Prime Minister Teo announced 21 policy priorities, of which strengthening diplomatic relations with Taiwan was listed as a key policy goal.

Since taking office as president, I have actively promoted the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project. By sharing Taiwan’s experience, we aim to deepen collaboration with our allies and other like-minded countries to jointly advance prosperity and development. During my visit to Tuvalu last year, I signed a joint communiqué with Prime Minister Teo on advancing the comprehensive partnership between Taiwan and Tuvalu. Our two nations designated representatives to form a team of experts to enhance our cooperative projects and strengthen bilateral ties.

Thanks to the efforts of that team, we will momentarily be signing the Kaitasi Treaty between Taiwan and Tuvalu. Our countries are like family. The word kaitasi, which connotes kinship, symbolizes the deep bonds of friendship and mutual support that we share. As we move forward, the treaty will lay the foundation for further bilateral collaboration, enabling us to continue deepening our partnership in the economy, food security, medicine and public health, and other areas.

Today, our countries are also signing an agreement on diversifying fisheries cooperation and a letter of intent on sports exchange and cooperation. During my trip to Tuvalu last year, Prime Minister Teo highlighted the issue of strengthening fisheries cooperation, which is also a priority for me. After that visit, Taiwan sent a fact-finding mission to Tuvalu and both sides worked to reach a consensus, leading to the signing of today’s agreement and bringing our bilateral ties into a new chapter. We are also enhancing talent development and exchanges in sports in the hope that both countries will engage more with the world and enhance our international visibility by participating in sports.

Taiwan will continue to expand and diversify exchanges with Tuvalu to promote mutual prosperity and development. Let us show the international community the depth of our friendship and the strength of our cooperative partnership as we contribute even more to the world. 

Prime Minister Teo then delivered remarks, first expressing his thanks for the splendid reception extended to him and his delegation. He expressed his excitement that, less than a year after President Lai’s state visit to Tuvalu in December last year, when the two leaders pledged to further strengthen the Tuvalu-Taiwan partnership by establishing a team of experts, they are delivering on that pledge today by witnessing the signing of the Kaitasi Treaty between Taiwan and Tuvalu. This treaty, he said, will be the first treaty of its kind between Tuvalu and Taiwan, and it will be launched on a legal platform, giving rise to legal commitments instead of merely political commitments.

Prime Minister Teo pointed out that the treaty uses the word kaitasi, which in Tuvaluan literally means “eat together” but carries a far more significant traditional value of shared ownership and shared responsibility. He further explained that the treaty commits to establish a new and innovative assistance mechanism to ensure predictability and sustainability in Taiwan’s future support to Tuvalu’s national development priorities while also consolidating cooperation on climate action, economic development, food security, health, education, and cultural exchanges. In addition, he said, they will also be signing an agreement on diversifying fisheries cooperation, which will expand opportunities in the purse seine and longline fisheries and related activities; and a letter of intent on sports exchange and cooperation, which will strengthen youth development and cultural ties.

Prime Minister Teo expressed gratitude for the almost five decades of support that Taiwan has provided to Tuvalu in the areas of education and scholarships, health and medical services, fisheries partnership, agriculture and food security, infrastructure development, and cultural, sports, and people-to-people exchanges. The prime minister stated that Tuvalu is committed and will continue to advocate strongly for the inclusion and participation of Taiwan in the United Nations and its specialized agencies. He mentioned that as the UN celebrated its 80th anniversary of existence this year, he reminded the United Nations General Assembly in September of this year of the hypocrisy and injustice of the UN system advocating for the principle of “not leaving anyone behind” while not finding a place for the voice of the more than 23 million citizens of Taiwan in the UN systems. Likewise, he added, at the regional annual meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in September this year in the Solomon Islands, he fought hard and successfully for Taiwan to remain engaged in the work of the PIF as it has done so since 1992.

Prime Minister Teo, emphasizing that climate change and climate-induced sea-level rise remain the greatest existential threats to Tuvalu’s future survivability, expressed Tuvalu’s gratitude to Taiwan for supporting adaptation efforts through their Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project and for committing to recognize Tuvalu’s future statehood and sovereignty regardless of the impact of climate change. He concluded by expressing hope that the Kaitasi Treaty will set the firmest of foundations for decades of cooperation ahead.

After the bilateral talks, President Lai and Prime Minister Teo witnessed the signing of the Kaitasi Treaty between Taiwan and Tuvalu, the Agreement on Diversifying Fisheries Cooperation, and the Letter of Intent on Sports Exchange and Cooperation by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季), and Minister of Sports Lee Yang (李洋).

The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Tuvalu Ambassador Lily Tangisia Faavae and her husband.