President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) delegation that is to visit Panama and Paraguay later this month will reportedly include representatives from Asustek Computer and Evergreen Marine Corp, a Chinese-language newspaper reported yesterday.
Executives from five other firms — Everest Textile Co, Fwu Sow Grain Products Co, General Energy Solutions Inc, I-Mei Foods Co and Sanyang Industry Co — are also to be part of the delegation, the United Evening News said.
Tsai is to embark on a nine-day trip to Panama and Paraguay on Friday, with transit stops in Miami and Los Angeles.
Tsai is scheduled to attend the inauguration ceremony of the expanded Panama Canal on Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
From Panama, Tsai is to head to Paraguay, Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in South America, the following day.
The seven firms were selected based on the principles of practicality and functionality, the United Evening News reported, citing sources at the Presidential Office. They are either involved in sectors in which Taiwan and the allies have ongoing cooperative projects or that play key roles in the allies’ economies, such as food, animal feed and textiles, the report said.
Some of the companies might also be willing to invest in the region, according to the report.
Tsai’s entourage is set to include National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Jason Liu (劉建忻) and Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee (李大維) and his deputy Javier Hou (侯清山), Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Yang Wei-fu (楊偉甫) and some legislators.
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