TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – President Surangel Whipps Jr. of Palau attended the opening of the 30th World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce (WTCC) annual meeting in Kaohsiung Friday (Sept. 27).
The Pacific island nation is one of Taiwan’s 12 official diplomatic allies. After China threatened to use tourism as a weapon against the island if it did not break off relations with Taipei, the WTCC sent a delegation of investors to Palau, per Radio Taiwan International.
The move showed the organization of Taiwanese business people was willing to take concrete steps to counter Chinese bullying. The group also invited Whipps to attend its conference Friday.
At the opening ceremony, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) thanked the president of Palau and the country’s diplomats for their strong and effective support of Taiwan. They were unafraid of trouble but spoke out at international events to defend Taiwan’s right to participate in global affairs, he said.
Lai also spoke of visiting Palau when he was vice president. Taiwanese should travel to the Pacific country, and business people should go and look for investment opportunities, he said.
