As Chinese Nationalist Party Chairman Lien Chan (
Chen is to embark on a trip Sunday to three of the nation's allies in the South Pacific, the Presidential Office said at a press conference yesterday.
Chen and his entourage will travel to the Marshall Islands, Kiribati and Tuvalu, with two stopovers in the US territory of Guam both to and from to Taipei.
"These countries are loyal diplomatic allies of ours and they have been supportive of Taiwan's causes in international events," Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General James Huang (
"[Chen's visit to these nations] therefore carries historical significance," he added.
The main purpose of the visit is to attend the Marshall Islands' Independence Day celebration.
Chen will leave early in the morning on May 1. He will spend two days in the Marshall Islands, during which time he will attend the South Pacific country's national day celebrations, address its parliament and sign a joint communique with the Marshall Islands President Kessai Note.
The next morning, Chen will have a breakfast with Note aboard a Taiwanese naval vessel -- a Lafayette-class frigate -- which is slated to arrive in the Marshall Islands at the time as part of its global tour.
On the invitation of the president of the Marshall Islands, Chen will also preside over a canoe competition with Note and go on one for a half-hour ride with Note, Huang said.
Chen will then travel to Kiribati on May 3, during which he will sign joint communique with the Kiribati's President Anote Tong, give a speech to its parliament and preside over the opening ceremony for "Taiwan Park," which the government of Kiribati specially constructed to welcome Chen, Huang said.
During the stay, Chen will enjoy the sunrise on the beach of Kiribati's "Millennium Island," Huang said.
Chen will then travel to Tuvalu from Kiribati on May 4 via small plane.
Due to a lack of sufficient accomodation for him and his staff, he will only stay for four or five hours before returning to Kiribati and head for Taipei after a one-night transit in Guam.
Chen's entourage will include Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen (陳唐山), Government Information Office Director-General Pasuya Yao (姚文智) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Aboriginal Legislator Chen Yin (陳瑩).
Due to pressing domestic affairs and limitations with regard to infrastructure, Huang said the trip has been kept short and the size of the delegation and its accompanying staff and press corps has been kept small, at around 100 people.
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