The President of the National Congress of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Brenson Wase, has visited Taiwan in response to an invitation from the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). He is scheduled to meet with President Lai Ching-te during his visit.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) stated that Brenson Wase, along with other members of the delegation, including Senators Jack Ading, Wilbur Heine, and Bruce Loeak, will be in Taiwan from the 11th to the 16th of this month. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tanaka Mitsuyo, welcomed the delegation upon their arrival in Taiwan.
This visit marks the first official visit to Taiwan by Speaker Wase since taking office, aiming to enhance parliamentary exchanges between Taiwan and the Marshall Islands and deepen the close friendship between the two nations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs extended a sincere welcome to the delegation.
During their stay in Taiwan, the delegation is scheduled to meet with President Lai Ching-te, visit Speaker of the Legislative Yuan Han Kuo-yu, Chairman of the Council of Indigenous Peoples Tseng Chih-yung, and Mayor of Taipei City Chiang Wan-an. They will also attend a banquet hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lin Chia-lung.
On the 12th, the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China (Taiwan) passed amendments to certain sections of the Customs Duties Act, with a total of 3,043 agricultural and industrial products originating from the Marshall Islands now being exempt from tariffs. This move fulfills Taiwan’s commitment under the Taiwan-Marshall Islands Economic Cooperation Agreement for tariff reductions. The Ministry of Finance has estimated that these amendments will deepen the bilateral economic and trade relations, thereby assisting Taiwan in conducting economic and trade cooperation in the Pacific region.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) emphasized the strong and friendly ties between Taiwan and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, sharing universal values such as democracy, freedom, and human rights. The two countries have been closely cooperating in areas such as food security, healthcare, infrastructure, climate change adaptation, and women’s empowerment. Speaker Wase’s visit will involve in-depth discussions on these issues to strengthen the partnership between Taiwan and the Marshall Islands.