TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday welcomed comments by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong thanking Taiwan for its help with Tuvalu’s first undersea telecommunications cable.

The Pacific island nation of Tuvalu is one of Taiwan’s 12 official diplomatic allies. The country has been dealing with the impact of climate change and difficult communications with the outside world.

Tuvalu’s reliance on satellites for its Internet and telecom needs was not only expensive but also subject to bouts of instability, MOFA said. Since 2021, Taiwan has been actively assisting its ally in improving and upgrading its basic communication infrastructure.

One of the projects was the launch of the first undersea telecom cable to reach Tuvalu. In a post on X Saturday, Wong said the “Vaka” project was an investment in Tuvalu’s digital connectivity, and Australia was grateful for support from Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, and the United States.

MOFA said it welcomed and approved Wong’s public expression of gratitude for Taiwan’s contribution. The project showed the close partnership between Taiwan and other countries sharing similar values, according to MOFA.