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Vice President Lai meets with Pacific allies
Vice President William Lai has met with Palauan President Surangel Whipps Junior shortly after his arrival in the Pacific island nation, for a three-day visit.
Lai, who is leading a delegation comprising government officials and business representatives, arrived at Palau's airport at noon on Tuesday, where he was greeted by Vice President J Uduch Sengebau Senior and Minister of State Gustav Aitaro.
The Presidential Office says the reception was followed by a meeting with Whipps at the government building in Palau's capital. According to the statement, Lai conveyed to Whipps his hope that Taiwan and Palau can work together on combating climate change and contribute to global endeavors to address related problems.
In addition, Lai expressed hope that the two countries can deepen bilateral exchanges in various fields, including medical care and sports. Lai later visited the Palau National Congress, and attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a new road in the Palauan capital funded by Taiwan's government and visited Taiwan's technical mission in the Pacific island nation.
In other diplomatic news, visiting St. Vincent and the Grenadines Health Minister St. Clair Prince said Tuesday that technical and financial assistance from Taiwan had been a "towerof strength" as his country seeks to overhaul its national care system.
At a press gathering held by the Embassy of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in Taipei, Prince praised Taiwan's continued support for his country's national health reform and resilience project, which includes building a new state-of-the-art hospital just outside of the capital Kingston. According to Prince, the Arnos Vale Acute Care Hospital is expected tocomplete construction around 2025. The health minister also paid tribute to Taipei for its help in tackling noncommunicable diseases, which are a leading cause of death in the Caribbean.
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Embassy organized the press event for Prince, who is visiting Taiwan for the 2022 Global Health and Welfare Forum from 30-31 October in Taipei. He will leave Taiwan today.
