Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen heads to Latin America to shore up diplomatic ties
Since Tsai took office in 2016, the number of the island’s diplomatic allies has dropped from 22 to 18
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen will head to Paraguay and Belize – two of the island’s remaining 18 formal allies – on Sunday, in her fifth state visit, described by her government as a “Journey of Joint Celebration”, but seen by analysts as cementing ties in the face of a growing diplomatic squeeze by Beijing.
Tsai will lead a high-profile delegation made up of senior security and foreign affairs officials, cabinet-level ministers, deputy ministers, legislators and business leaders, in her nine-day, eight-night trip that will end on August 20, according to the Presidential Office.
“They will make transit stops in Los Angeles and Houston, respectively in the US on the outbound and return legs of the trip,” it said in a press statement.
Identifying her Latin American trip as a “Journey of Joint Celebration”, the Presidential Office said Tsai will attend the inauguration ceremonies for Paraguayan president-elect Mario Abdo Benítez on August 15 before visiting Belize from August 16 to 18.
According to Taiwanese media, the visit is expected to include objectives such as enhancing mutual understanding and making further progress on developing and implementing joint initiatives in the areas of agriculture, education, information and communication technology, medical care and vocational training.