Palau will continue to support Taiwan amid tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr said at a ceremony in Taipei.
Whipps, who was greeted by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at a welcome ceremony with military honors, said that Palauans “are committed to supporting Taiwan, despite the mounting aggression in our region.”
He was likely referring to the week-long military exercises conducted by China following a visit on Aug. 2 and 3 by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
Palauans “deeply value the friendship between our two nations” based on a shared commitment to preserving peace, freedom, democracy and human rights, he said.
Taiwan and Palau have engaged in a maritime partnership that contributes to the maintenance of peace, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, Whipps said.
“Palau looks forward to continuing our strong friendship with Taiwan,” Whipps said. “We know that we are stronger together, and through cooperation, we can overcome the challenges our nations continue to face now and in the future.”
Tsai said Taiwan greatly appreciates its friendship with Palau and the government looks forward to deepening bilateral ties in numerous domains.
Over the past two decades, the two nations have “helped and supported each other [in] overcoming many challenges,” Tsai said, mentioning in particular the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Palau, which officially established diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (ROC) in 1999, is one of the nation’s 14 diplomatic allies.
The ceremony was followed by a meeting between Tsai and Whipps and a banquet hosted by Tsai for the Palauan delegation.
Tsai and Whipps also witnessed the signing of an agreement on public finance cooperation between the two countries.
The agreement would promote bilateral collaboration in the area of public finance through meetings, seminars, training sessions and mutual consultations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Under the agreement, Taiwan would share its best practices in achieving fiscal discipline and the digitization of tax and customs systems, as well as public debt management, it said.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Tsai said she hoped the agreement would pave the way for further cooperation in various areas between Taiwan and Palau, and that together the two nations would contribute to the prosperity and stability of the Asia-Pacific region.
Whipps, who assumed the presidency in January last year, is to give a speech at the opening of the Yushan Forum today and attend the Double Ten National Day celebration on Monday, the ministry said.
The ministry did not say how long the Palauan delegation is to stay in Taiwan, but said it would make an announcement at an appropriate time.
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