President Whipps Welcomes Taiwan's Investigation Bureau Personnel to Help Palau Combat Transnational Organized Crime

Palau President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. stated today in a speech following Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim's address to the congress that Taiwan's 23 million people should have the right to a voice in the international community, and that excluding Taiwan from the United Nations and related international organizations is a global loss. He also welcomed the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau's dispatch of personnel to assist Palau's law enforcement and strengthen cooperation in combating drugs and transnational organized crime.

Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim delivered an English speech at the invitation of the Palau congress in the morning, after which President Whipps gave his remarks. He thanked Vice President Hsiao for leading the delegation and for choosing Palau as the first ally to visit in her vice presidency, stating that today's arrival is the most powerful testimony to the unbreakable bond between the two countries.

President Whipps also thanked President Lai Ching-te and the government of Taiwan for their long-term support for Palau. He specifically mentioned Catholic priest Rudimch Olsudong, who received a kidney transplant in Japan with Taiwan's referral assistance and has now returned to Palau to reunite with everyone. He said the people of Palau and the Catholic Church will not forget this life-saving kindness.

He stated that the partnership between Palau and Taiwan dates back to the 1980s, even before the establishment of formal diplomatic relations. It began with agricultural technical cooperation and was built on a foundation of mutual respect and shared growth, resulting in a deep friendship of over 40 years.

Speaking on the international situation, President Whipps pointed out that the world, now more than ever, needs to work together to maintain a rules-based international order. This order should be built on the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter, which state that all peoples, including the 23 million people of Taiwan, should have the right to a voice.

He stated that Taiwan is a world leader in fields such as technology, healthcare, agriculture, aquaculture, and aviation. If the international community excludes Taiwan from the United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and other UN agencies, it is not only unfair to Taiwan but also a great loss for the world.

President Whipps noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan was always Palau's most steadfast partner and the only place that could assist with referring critically ill patients at the time. Since then, regular direct flights between Palau and Taiwan have resumed, not only promoting bilateral exchanges but also bringing tourists from Europe and around the world to Palau.

He said that the strategic partnership established by Palau with Taiwan, the United States, Japan, and Australia has enhanced disaster resilience and security cooperation, jointly safeguarding a free and open Indo-Pacific region. This is just as Vice President Hsiao mentioned in her speech, "stronger together."

He noted that he recently attended the Islands and Ocean Summit in Japan, where countries reached a consensus on managing marine resources based on science and data. He thanked Taiwan for its long-term assistance in developing Palau's aquaculture, including projects for clams, rabbitfish, sea cucumbers, and milkfish, and for cooperating with Japan to promote fishing port construction to help Palau diversify its economy.

Regarding law enforcement cooperation, President Whipps said he welcomes Vice President Hsiao's announcement that the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau will dispatch personnel to Palau to assist in law enforcement. As there are ongoing attempts to bring drugs and organized crime activities into Palau, language barriers often create difficulties in investigations. Taiwan's assistance will help improve law enforcement efficiency and make Palau safer.

President Whipps also echoed the concept of "two resilient islands" proposed by Vice President Hsiao. He said that Palau has stood firm through many challenges and will in the future promote diversified economic development through industries such as tourism, fisheries, financial services, and renewable energy, and looks forward to sharing development opportunities with its closest and most reliable partner, Taiwan.

Finally, President Whipps emphasized that Taiwan and Palau are not just friends, but family belonging to the same Austronesian peoples. The two countries share democratic values and the belief that "every country should have a right to a voice," which is the important foundation of their friendship of over a quarter-century. "We are resilient islands, we are stronger together."