TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) on Friday made a rare stopover in Sydney, Australia, during his return after visiting a South Pacific diplomatic ally. 

Lin led a delegation to visit Tuvalu from Wednesday to Thursday, when he attended ceremonies for new construction projects, presided over a funding donation for an undersea cable, and signed a pact to prevent double taxation and curb tax evasion. The foreign ministry on Saturday announced that Lin and his delegation had returned to Taiwan via Australia. 

On Monday, FTV News published photos of Lin meeting with the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Sydney on Friday. The news agency reported that during his transit stop in Australia, Lin visited the Sydney Opera House and the International Convention Centre Sydney.

He also filmed an opening address outside the opera house for a WTCC conference. In his speech, Lin described Sydney as a vibrant, creative city and called for Taiwan to shift from “values-based diplomacy” to “value-added diplomacy.”

Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney General of New South Wales and SW Parliamentary Friends of Taiwan, Hugh McDermott, on Monday lauded cultural events held by the Taiwanese-Australian community over the weekend, per CNA. On Friday, he said he was pleased to meet with Lin, along with parliamentary colleagues and representatives from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia.

During his visit to Tuvalu, Lin also presided over a geological survey ceremony at the site of the new Parliament building being constructed with Taiwan’s assistance. He jointly hosted the handover ceremony for the recently completed Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project, co-funded in 2024 with Australia, New Zealand, and other like-minded partners, demonstrating Taiwan’s support for strengthening Tuvalu’s coastline and climate resilience, said the foreign ministry.