President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday welcomed Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine to Taiwan with full military honors, and expressed the hope that both sides would deepen their cooperation for coprosperity.
Heine was greeted with a 21-gun salute and the two countries’ national anthems were played at the plaza in front of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei. The two heads of state reviewed the military honor guard in a sudden downpour, and both returned to a tent to deliver their respective remarks.
Welcoming the delegation to Taiwan, Lai said he was received with great warmth and courtesy during his state visit to the Marshall Islands in December last year. He thanked Heine, as well as the Marshallese government and people for demonstrating such high regard for the two nations’ diplomatic ties.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
“Taiwan and the Marshall Islands share Austronesian traditions and culture, and we are like-minded friends as well,” Lai said. “Throughout 27 years of diplomatic relations, we have always engaged in the spirit of reciprocal trust and mutual assistance.
Bilateral cooperation in healthcare, agriculture, fisheries, education and training, and climate change has yielded fruitful results, he said.
“Taiwan will continue to deepen its collaboration with the Marshall Islands across all domains, so as to jointly facilitate prosperity and development,” he said.
Photo: screen grab from the Presidential Office’s Flickr page
Heine also conveyed her appreciation to Lai for the hospitality and very warm welcome in Taiwan.
She said it was her seventh official state visit to Taiwan, which is a testament to her strong commitment to further deepening ties between the two nations.
“For over a quarter of a century, Taiwan has been a strong ally and friend to the Marshall Islands. Our partnership has thrived across many sectors, including education, healthcare, infrastructure and economic development,” she said.
Taiwan’s generous support and collaboration have helped the Marshall Islands significantly improve its people’s lives, empowering communities and fostering sustainable growth, she said.
Despite the Marshall Islands’ small size and limited voice on the global stage, it deeply values the friendship with Taiwan, Heine said.
“I wish to reaffirm my government’s commitment to Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the United Nations system,” she said.
“Taiwan has consistently demonstrated its commitment to the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law,” she said. “In light of current restraints in global affairs, it is now more urgent than ever that the international community of nations recognize the fundamental rights of the 23 million Taiwanese people, and Taiwan’s aspiration to engage fully in global affairs.”
Heine reiterated that under her government, the Marshall Islands would continue to acknowledge Taiwan’s contribution on the global stage and urge like-minded countries to support Taiwan’s meaningful engagement in the international arena.
After the outdoor ceremony, a bilateral meeting was held in the Presidential Office, followed by the two presidents witnessing the joint signing of a memorandum of understanding and a letter of intent to broaden cooperation in sports, education and aviation, by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and Marshall Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kalani Kaneko.
At noon, Lai and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) hosted a banquet at the Presidential Office to welcome Heine, first gentleman Thomas Kijiner, Jr and their 19-member delegation.
Before the banquet began, Lai awarded Heine the Order of Brilliant Jade, to express the gratitude of Taiwanese for her commitment to deepening ties between the two nations, and for firmly speaking up for Taiwan in the international arena.
Other members of the Marshallese delegation included President of the Council of Iroij Lanny Kabua, Minister of Finance David Paul and Senator Joe Bejang.
The delegation, which arrived on Monday, is visiting Taiwan until Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The Taiwanese passport ranked 33rd in a global listing of passports by convenience this month, rising three places from last month’s ranking, but matching its position in January last year. The Henley Passport Index, an international ranking of passports by the number of designations its holder can travel to without a visa, showed that the Taiwan passport enables holders to travel to 139 countries and territories without a visa. Singapore’s passport was ranked the most powerful with visa-free access to 192 destinations out of 227, according to the index published on Tuesday by UK-based migration investment consultancy firm Henley and Partners. Japan’s and
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT: An official said that Guan Guan’s comments had gone beyond the threshold of free speech, as she advocated for the destruction of the ROC China-born media influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China content that threatens national security, the National Immigration Agency said yesterday. Guan Guan has said many controversial things in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” while expressing hope for expedited “reunification.” The agency received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification last year. After investigating, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and account for her actions. Guan Guan appeared as required,
Japan and the Philippines yesterday signed a defense pact that would allow the tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food and other necessities when their forces stage joint training to boost deterrence against China’s growing aggression in the region and to bolster their preparation for natural disasters. Japan has faced increasing political, trade and security tensions with China, which was angered by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would be a survival-threatening situation for Japan, triggering a military response. Japan and the Philippines have also had separate territorial conflicts with Beijing in the East and South China
A strong cold air mass is expected to arrive tonight, bringing a change in weather and a drop in temperature, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The coldest time would be early on Thursday morning, with temperatures in some areas dipping as low as 8°C, it said. Daytime highs yesterday were 22°C to 24°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and about 25°C to 28°C in the central and southern regions, it said. However, nighttime lows would dip to about 15°C to 16°C in central and northern Taiwan as well as the northeast, and 17°C to 19°C elsewhere, it said. Tropical Storm Nokaen, currently
RSS