The President of the Republic of Palau, Surangel Whipps Jr., accused the Chinese Communist Party of using tourism as a weapon to pressure Palau into severing ties with Taiwan. In response to this, the World Taiwanese Business Association in Asia expressed their support for Taiwan’s foreign policy by organizing a delegation to visit Palau. The delegation was warmly received by President Whipps Jr., who personally met with them to express affirmation and hopes for fruitful investment outcomes in the future.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Joseph Wu, recently stated that the Foreign Ministry is committed to President Tsai’s goal of making every day an “economic day” for the country. The ministry aims to combine funds, technology, and talent to promote economic diplomacy and the “Diplomatic Teamwork for Prosperity” initiative. Through economic and trade investments, Taiwan aims to strengthen its relations with like-minded countries and enable Taiwanese businesses to seize commercial opportunities, especially during key moments of supply chain restructuring.
The World Taiwanese Business Association in Asia (WTBA) posted on Facebook, noting the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Palau. In support of Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ “Diplomatic Teamwork for Prosperity” initiative, WTBA organized an investment delegation to Palau in collaboration with the Palauan government and local business associations. The delegation, comprising 28 members including legislators and representatives from various countries, engaged in a four-day exploration of trade opportunities in Palau from the 2nd to the 5th of the month.
Upon arrival in Palau, the delegation was warmly welcomed at the airport by Ambassador Chen Feng-yu from the Republic of China in Palau, along with representatives from the Palauan Chamber of Commerce and the Palau-Taiwan Business Association. The Palauan government hosted a banquet that evening to entertain the delegation, with Vice President Uduch Sengebau Senior offering words of welcome, emphasizing the importance of the visit in bolstering investment opportunities and deepening bilateral relations between the two nations.
President Surangel Whipps Jr. personally met with the WTBA delegation on the 3rd day of their visit, expressing deep affirmation of their efforts and looking forward to continued cooperation and successful investment outcomes. During a roundtable forum, attendees included the Speaker of the Palau House of Delegates, the Senate President, the Vice President, the Ministers of Finance, Foreign Affairs, Human Resources, and Education, the Palauan Ambassador to Taiwan, several governors, and representatives from industries such as ports, electricity, banking, and oil products.
WTBA President Li Tianchi noted that he will report the outcomes of the visit to Taiwanese business members worldwide to foster more business collaboration between Taiwan and Palau. Legislator Luo Meiling hoped that both sides could learn from each other to enhance the friendship between Taiwan and Palau.
WTBA Chair Lin Kaimin introduced the diverse members of the delegation involved in various industries such as agriculture, fishing, and tourism, all aiming to explore investment opportunities in Palau. As a gesture to commemorate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Palau, the delegation donated $20,000 USD to the Palauan government, accepted by President Whipps Jr. The Taiwanese delegation also discussed various initiatives including renovating Palauan hotels with international chain brands, facilitating external flights and cruises to Palau, establishing duty-free stores, enhancing Palau’s solar energy storage systems, salt production, aquafeed manufacturing, land development, among other topics.
The Palauan government provided an investment presentation, outlining the current tax system, future prospects, and recommended investment categories. Following this, the delegation visited the grand Palau National Capitol Building before being hosted for a traditional feast by Governor Reklai of the State of Melekeok.
In a press release on the 8th, WTBA indicated that Minister Joseph Wu, upon learning of Palau’s challenges with Chinese economic enticement through tourism, promptly reached out to WTBA to collaborate and provide maximum support to Palau in alignment with Taiwan’s “Overall Diplomatic” policy. The four accomplishments of the delegation’s visit included roundtable investment discussions with President Whipps Jr. and the Palauan Cabinet, sponsoring $20,000 USD for activities commemorating the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Palau as well as the 30th anniversary of Palauan independence, promoting Palau’s investment environment to WTBA members worldwide, and encouraging Taiwanese businesses in Palau to sign the “Intent to Join WTBA” agreement.