President Tsai attends expanded Panama Canal inauguration

2016/06/28

President Tsai Ing-wen attended the formal opening of the expanded Panama Canal June 26, joining heads of state and dignitaries from around the world in celebrating completion of the US$5.4 billion project that took nine years to complete.

On her first trip abroad since taking office in May, Tsai exchanged pleasantries during the ceremony with such figures as Panama President Juan Carlos Varela, Paraguay President Horacio Cartes, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and Jill Biden, the wife of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.

Invited to attend the event in the Republic of China (Taiwan) diplomatic ally by Varela, Tsai said it felt like taking part in a good friend’s happy occasion. “I hope bilateral relations continue expanding so as to improve the well-being of the people in both nations.”

According to Tsai, the ROC has maintained diplomatic relations with Panama for more than a century, and the two sides enjoy close cooperation and exchanges. “I believe this visit will further consolidate our longstanding partnership,” she said.

Before attending the ceremony, Tsai held talks with Danilo Medina Sanchez, president of the Dominican Republic, Oscar Samuel Ortiz Ascencio, vice president of El Salvador, Jafeth Cabrera Franco, vice president of Guatemala, and Juan Orlando Hernandez Alvarado, president of Honduras. She discussed a number of issues such as strengthening cooperation with the four Central American ROC diplomatic allies.

Tsai also visited June 26 the Colon Container Terminal of Evergreen Marine Corp. “Significant investment by Evergreen has created many job opportunities in Panama,” she said, adding that the Taipei City-headquartered company’s vessels passing through the Panama Canal every day raise Taiwan’s visibility and boost its international reputation.

After arriving June 25 in Panama City, Tsai met with a visiting 15-member U.S. congressional delegation. She told the group that Taiwan-U.S. trade exchanges have created many job opportunities for the two sides.

“Close trade and economic interactions are the cornerstone of our bilateral relations. Completion of the Panama Canal expansion project can be expected to further increase seaborne freight between Taiwan and the East Coast of the U.S.”

After learning that Tsai’s aircraft—a Boeing 777 operated by Taoyuan City-based China Airlines—had flown directly from Taipei to Miami, three members of the delegation from the city in Florida expressed great interest in the possibility of establishing direct flights between the two metropolises. They said if such a service was established, U.S. Congress should offer Taiwan greater support for its bid for membership in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Tsai is on a nine-day trip to ROC diplomatic allies Panama and Paraguay. After the inauguration ceremony of the expanded Panama Canal, she will hold talks with Varela. In Paraguay, she will meet with Cartes in the capital Asuncion and address the Paraguayan congress.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=245835&ctNode=2194&mp=9)