President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was greeted by the leaders of several nations at the inauguration ceremony of the Panama Canal expansion project on Sunday, as well as byh US Vice President Joe Biden’s wife, Jill Biden, Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) said.
Tsai, who is on her first overseas trip as president, exchanged greetings with Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes, Dominican President Danilo Medina, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and vice chairman of the Japan-Republic of China Diet Members’ Consultative Council Eto Seishiro.
Tsai also talked with Argentine Vice President Gabriela Michetti, who told Tsai that her nation’s legislature is pushing for a program to grant visa-waiver treatment to Republic of China passport holders.
Photo CNA
City of London Alderman Jeffrey Mountevans also greeted Tsai, while Cartes said he was looking forward to Tsai’s visit to Paraguay on the next leg of her trip.
Jill Biden, the head of the US delegation, sat in the second row behind Tsai, and former king of Spain Juan Carlos, Huang said.
Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said at the opening ceremony that Panama can now provide the world with a safer, more convenient and environmentally friendly waterway.
Oscar Bazan, the Panama Canal Authority’s executive vice president for planning and commercial development, said the completion of the project was a major development in global shipping.
“The Panama Canal, with this expansion, is an important player not only for regional maritime commerce, but worldwide,” Bazan said.
Tsai’s attendance at the ceremony was aimed at helping to cement ties between Taiwan and Panama, one of Taiwan’s 22 diplomatic allies.
Her presence there was also significant because Evergreen Group (長榮集團) has huge investments in Panama and Taiwan is a major user of the canal.
After the ceremony, Tsai held discussions with Varela on international issues and other matters of mutual concern.
Earlier, she visited a container terminal owned by Evergreen Marine Corp (長榮海運).
Tsai was scheduled to depart yesterday for Paraguay, the nation’s only diplomatic ally in South America, where she is to meet with Cartes, give a speech to the parliament and visit a number of bilateral cooperation projects.
Tsai is to depart Paraguay on Thursday and is to transit in Los Angeles on her return to Taiwan.
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