President Tsai returns from diplomatic trip, touts steadfast diplomacy

2016/07/05

President Tsai Ing-wen touted the benefits of her steadfast diplomacy approach after returning to Taiwan July 2 from a nine-day official visit to ROC diplomatic allies Panama and Paraguay.

Tsai said the diplomatic tour to Latin America enabled her to put into practice the new strategy, which she described as an experience-based approach that facilitates diplomatic breakthroughs for Taiwan while sharing the nation’s values and principles with its international partners and helping promote prosperity and peace. “I firmly believe steadfast diplomacy is the best direction for Taiwan’s diplomatic efforts, which will be conducted under the principle of mutual benefits,” she said.

Elaborating on the steadfast diplomacy approach, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is defined as “unwavering and fixed in direction,” seeking to overcome the diplomatic challenges facing Taiwan and expand the nation’s international space by stably advancing toward specific goals in a step by step fashion. It is also characterized as “firm in purpose,” upholding freedom and democracy and striving to deepen cooperation with countries that share common values on a mutually beneficial basis so as to make concrete contributions to the global community and promote Taiwan’s international status, the MOFA added.

During the trip, her first since assuming office, Tsai led a delegation of officials, businesspeople and members of the media to attend the June 26 inauguration ceremony of the Panama Canal expansion project at the invitation of President Juan Carlos Varela. She then visited Paraguay, holding talks with President Horacio Cartes, addressing the congress and visiting bilateral cooperation projects.

“While in Paraguay, President Cartes and I agreed the two countries, which possess complementary markets and resources, can deepen cooperative relations in a mutually beneficial fashion,” Tsai said.

The president said the trip helped expand Taiwan’s international space as evident in her holding bilateral talks with heads of state and senior officials from seven ROC diplomatic allies while in Panama. Trade relations with Panama and Paraguay were further enhanced as the traveling business delegations actively sought investment opportunities in the two Latin American nations.

In addition to visiting the two ROC allies, the president stopped over in Miami and Los Angeles on the outbound and return legs of her journey, respectively, during which she attended banquets hosted by Taiwan expatriates and exchanged views with more than 20 U.S. politicians and dignitaries.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=246013&ctNode=2194&mp=9)