【Epoch Times, January 20, 2025】The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) stated that Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung, in his capacity as a special envoy of the President, led a delegation to visit the Republic of Palau, a Pacific ally, from the 15th to the 18th of this month. The visit aimed to congratulate the newly elected President Surangel Whipps Jr. and Vice President Uduch Sengebau Senior on their inaugurations. Minister Lin successfully returned to Taiwan on the 18th evening, with the process smoothly and the relationship between Taiwan and Palau deepened.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China issued a press release on the 19th, stating that during his visit to Palau as a special envoy, Minister Lin not only attended official events but also engaged in exchanges with visiting dignitaries and led a group of Taiwanese business representatives to explore local business opportunities. President Whipps Jr. of Palau and various political figures highly praised him, demonstrating tangible progress in the Republic of China’s diplomatic policy of “flexible diplomacy” and the “Allied Nation Plan.”
On the 16th, Minister Lin participated in Palau’s official events such as the inauguration of the new President and Vice President, official meetings, signing of the “Sports and Baseball Exchange Intentions Agreement” between Taiwan and Palau, the launch of smart healthcare at the Palau National Hospital, and President Whipps Jr.’s inaugural banquet. The following day, at the invitation of President Whipps Jr., Minister Lin and the delegation joined other visiting ambassadors and representatives to explore Palau’s various tourist attractions.
“President Whipps Jr. personally briefed our delegation on Palau’s tourism and investment environment before our visit. This demonstrates the importance they place on our relationship. President Whipps Jr. interacted warmly with Minister Lin Chia-lung and our delegation members during the activities,” stated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China.
In response to the warm reception from President Whipps Jr. and the Palauan government, Minister Lin hosted a special envoy dinner on the 17th. President Whipps Jr., Speaker of the House Gibson Kanai, Minister of State Gustav Aitaro, and several other political figures and traditional leaders from Palau attended. At the dinner, Minister Lin reiterated Taiwan’s commitment to assisting in Palau’s national development, pledging close collaboration for the future economic development of Palau.
During his speech, President Whipps Jr. expressed special thanks to Minister Lin and the delegation for their visit, emphasizing their commitment to assisting Palau’s economic development. He hoped for diversified economic and trade cooperation between Taiwan and Palau in the future. President Whipps Jr. reiterated gratitude for Taiwan’s assistance to Palau’s national development since establishing diplomatic ties, ensuring continued close collaboration between Palau’s new government and Taiwan towards a prosperous future.
Furthermore, in order to promote educational cooperation between Taiwan and Palau, Mingdao High School in Taiwan donated distance learning equipment to Palauan high schools during the dinner, showcasing the efforts of the Republic of China in combining private resources to promote collaboration across various sectors between Taiwan and Palau.
On the 18th, Minister Lin led the Taiwanese business delegation to explore the local tourism industry in Palau and later flew back to Taiwan in the afternoon. Minister of State Aitaro of Palau specially represented President Whipps Jr. to see off the delegation at the airport, expressing gratitude for Taiwan sending a special envoy to congratulate them and for combining private industry forces to promote Palau’s economic development.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China stated that Minister Lin’s visit this time continues President Lai’s “Prosperous South Island, Sustainable Wisdom” concept from December last year. It aims to highlight Taiwan’s shared democratic values with like-minded nations through its “flexible diplomacy” policy, leverage Taiwan’s advantages in industry, technology, and talent to drive Palau’s industry forward, and strengthen the friendship between the two nations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China stated, “In the future, our country will continue to build on the solid cooperative foundation established over the 26 years since diplomatic relations were established with Palau. We will continue to develop the ‘Allied Nation Plan’ and cooperate with Palau and like-minded nations to jointly achieve the vision of regional peace, stability, and prosperity.”