Premier Su Tseng-chang (
After concluding the 80-hour tour -- 47 hours of which were spent zigzagging between points across Asia, Africa and Europe -- Su said at a news conference held at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport upon his arrival that he felt Chen has acted "like a leading wild goose leading a V-formation of geese through the azure sky" when he traveled overseas to broaden Taiwan's diplomatic horizons.
"Geese can only maintain their formation by single-minded, concerted effort," he said.
PHOTO: CHU PEI-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Su and his entourage arrived on behalf of Chen in Banjul on Thursday to attend Gambian President Yahya Jammeh's inauguration for a third five-year term.
The premier's chartered plane made a stopover in Bangkok, Thailand, and an hour long stop at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to refuel en route to Gambia and another transit stop in Frankfurt, Germany, on his way back to Taiwan.
Su kept a low profile during his visit to Gambia -- his first overseas trip since he assumed the premiership in January -- to avoid any unexpected obstruction by China. He canceled a plan to attend Chadian President Idriss Deby's inauguration in August after learning that Chad was ready to switch its diplomatic recognition to Beijing. His planned visit to Haiti in mid-May was also scuttled by Chinese obstruction.
At the news conference, Su said he had emulated Chen's manner of "staying nimble and flexible" during state visits abroad despite constant interference from Beijing.
Su also expressed his appreciation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stressing that without ministry officials' efficiency and clever maneuvering, his and Chen's overseas trips would be even more difficult.
He added that with Taiwan's increasingly problematic diplomatic situation, the ministry has been fighting uphill battles in the international community, making it imperative that the ministry recruit new talent to join its ranks to help facilitate its challenging diplomatic work.
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