Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

Faced with China's growing threat to the world, President Giammattei of Guatemala publicly called on China to stop creating tension in the Taiwan Strait, emphasizing that upholding Taiwan's sovereign integrity is a core element of Guatemala's foreign policy. In Belize, Prime Minister Briceño pledged even more staunch support for Taiwan as together we uphold fundamental values like democracy, freedom, human rights, and self-determination. President Tsai was also invited to address the Belize National Assembly, where Prime Minister Briceño presented her with a copy of the Resolution to Support Democratic Taiwan Motion, 2023, passed unanimously by Belize's House of Representatives and Senate, once again expressing the shared commitment of the Belize government and Taiwan to upholding democratic values.

During her trip to Guatemala, President Tsai visited the National Hospital of Chimaltenango, a bilateral cooperation project, which was erected with assistance from Taiwan using local materials and labor. The hospital, a benchmark Taiwan-Guatemala cooperation project, will provide high-quality medical services to the surrounding area's 2 million residents, as well as help Guatemala achieve its national, social, and economic sustainability goals through a direct, efficient, and transparent international aid model while creating job opportunities. President Tsai also witnessed a donation ceremony for the San Pedro General Hospital in Belize, showing Taiwan's sincerity in helping Belize enhance its national healthcare infrastructure.

Numerous times and on various occasions, the president of Guatemala and the governor-general and prime minister of Belize acknowledged Taiwan's contributions to international society, and voiced staunch support for Taiwan's status as a sovereign, independent nation that should have the same right to participate in international organizations as other countries around the world. President Giammattei of Guatemala and Prime Minister Briceño of Belize both emphasized to President Tsai that, as faithful democratic partners, they will continue to work with Taiwan and speak out on our behalf at international venues, help Taiwan push for and expand its international participation, and engage with the world together.

During her visit to Guatemala, President Tsai exchanged views with President Giammattei on a wide range of topics, including trade and investments. And in Belize, President Tsai affirmed that the signing of the Taiwan-Belize Economic Cooperation Agreement has benefited export sales of outstanding Belize products to Taiwan while also strengthening diplomatic relations and promoting mutual prosperity.

• The US provided the Taiwan delegation with high-level courtesies and treatment, highlighting our close and friendly bilateral partnership: Consistent with the longstanding principles of "safety, comfort, convenience, and dignity," US authorities provided the Taiwan delegation with high-level immigration and security courtesies. The US honored established precedent by arranging to have American Institute in Taiwan Chairperson Laura Rosenberger greet the delegation when arriving in and departing from New York and Los Angeles and accompany them throughout their stay. These arrangements all followed precedents set during President Tsai's transit stops in the US in 2019, showing that the Biden administration has upheld the established US practice of providing the president with high-level courtesies, while highlighting the close and friendly Taiwan-US partnership.
• House Speaker Kevin McCarthy led a bipartisan delegation of congressional leaders to meet with President Tsai, demonstrating strong cross-party US support for Taiwan: During her transit stops in the US, President Tsai met with a total of 27 members of both houses of the US Congress and high-level representatives from both major parties, including US House of Representatives Speaker McCarthy and House of Representatives Democratic Party Leader Hakeem Jeffries. This record-high number was deeply significant, not only as a demonstration of robust US support for Taiwan, but also because it sent the message to the international community that Taiwan and the US share a firm and friendly relationship. In addition, the meeting between President Tsai and Speaker McCarthy drew global attention, with almost 200 members of the international media on site that day to cover the event. Subsequent reports by mainstream US and international media widely acknowledged the historic and political significance of the Tsai-McCarthy meeting. This not only effectively raised Taiwan's international profile, but also successfully brought together support for Taiwan from like-minded countries.
• President Tsai received the Hudson Institute Global Leadership Award in recognition of her outstanding leadership in directing democratic Taiwan's response to coercion: The Global Leadership Award, established by the Hudson Institute, honors international leaders who have made outstanding contributions to the world and possess extraordinary foresight, moral courage, and strategic vision. Given during President Tsai's transit stop in New York, the award recognizes her outstanding leadership during her time in office, exemplified by her tremendous courage and determination in directing Taiwan's response to external coercion and safeguarding a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Significantly, this marked only the third time that a world leader has received this award.
• Met with allies' permanent representatives to the United Nations, showing Taiwan's determination to advance shared prosperity among democratic partners: During her transit stop in New York, President Tsai met with permanent representatives to the UN from our diplomatic allies, thanking them for continuing to speak up for Taiwan in the international arena and commending them for issuing a joint statement in August 2022 which expressed concerns about peace and security in the Taiwan Strait. Through their righteous actions, our allies have helped highlight our concrete achievements in deepening democracy, freedom, and friendship over the years. President Tsai also continued her ongoing engagement with our allies' permanent representatives to the UN by meeting with them as she did during her transit stop in New York in 2019. Meeting with them again after a three-year hiatus shows Taiwan's determination to engage with the international community and advance shared prosperity among democratic partners.
• On both the east and west coasts of the US, state governors came out to greet President Tsai while members of Taiwanese communities warmly welcomed her and attended expatriate banquets, demonstrating the close and robust engagement between Taiwan and the US: During President Tsai's transit stops in New York and Los Angeles, respectively, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Acting Governor of California Eleni Kounalakis attended banquets with the local and Taiwanese expatriate communities, interacting with President Tsai and demonstrating the close and friendly ties between Taiwan and local governments in the US. Wherever she went on this trip, President Tsai received enthusiastic support and a warm welcome from expatriate communities, showing the deep affection and staunch support that Taiwanese living in the US have for Taiwan.