Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei on Sunday thanked Taiwan for its assistance in building and funding the Chimaltenango National Hospital.
Taiwan donated US$22 million for the construction of the 340-bed hospital, which has 15 departments and was completed in February after 18 months of construction.
Taiwan’s and Guatemala’s national flags, as well as President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) and Giammattei’s names, are engraved in a commemorative plaque at the hospital’s entrance.
Photo: AFP / Guatemalan President’s Office
At at a handover ceremony on the last day of Tsai’s trip to the Central American ally, she presented Giammattei with a model of the hospital and a set of commemorative coins from the Ministry of National Defense.
Tsai’s delegation and other guests then toured the hospital’s neonatal care center.
She praised “the contributions of many very dedicated people,” including the Guatemalan government and Taiwanese staff who assisted in the process.
The “wonderful flagship project” took advantage of local construction materials and labor, as well as Taiwan’s experience and technology, she said.
The project spurred economic development in the area and created many job opportunities throughout the construction process amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted the importance of medical care and public health systems in countries all over the world, she said.
The facility provides high-quality medical services to 720,000 local residents and more than 2 million people in the surrounding five departments of Guatemala, she said.
Taiwan and Guatemala would continue to deepen cooperation in a wide range of areas “in line with the principles of steadfast diplomacy and mutual assistance for mutual benefit,” Tsai said.
The hospital “best represents Taiwan-Guatemala cooperation,” Giammattei said, describing it as “an engineering feat” that can “provide invaluable medical resources and care to the community.”
He thanked Taiwan for its generosity in providing the blueprint for the hospital, which can be used to construct other medical facilities.
“There is no more important or worthy mission than that of improving the quality of the people’s lives,” he said.
The Guatemalan government is committed to supporting the sovereignty of Taiwan, he added.
He wished the delegation a smooth and productive visit to Belize, the next stop on their itinerary.
Giammattei also gave Tsai his best wishes.
“You took a piece of the Guatemalan people’s heart away with your departure,” he said. “Please take good care of it and protect it. At the same time, your visit this time also left a piece of your heart in Guatemala, which will be protected and guarded here.”
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or