In the afternoon of September 10, President of the Legislative Yuan Daniel K.Y. Han met with an eight-member delegation led by the Speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu H.E. Sir Iakoba Taeia Italeli, who was accompanied by his wife. In attendance were the President of the Parliamentary Friendship Association between Taiwan and Austronesian Languages Speaking Countries Wang Mei-Hui, KMT Legislator Chen Yeong-Kang, TPP Legislator Lin Yi-Chun, Director of the Department of International Affairs Kevin C.F. Lin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-Kwang, Deputy Director-General of the Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Chen Chun-Chi, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Protocol Fan Chia-Ming, and Chargé d'affaires of the Embassy of Tuvalu in Taipei Silafaga Lalau O'Brien.

President Han, leading a group of cross-party legislators, welcomed Speaker Italeli of the Parliament of Tuvalu with his wife and the delegation when they arrived at the main gates of the Legislative Yuan. President of the Parliamentary Friendship Association between Taiwan and Austronesian Languages Speaking Countries Wang Mei-Hui gave flowers to Speaker Italeli and accompanied the delegation to enter the guest reception room of the Legislative Yuan. President Han invited Speaker Italeli to sign the VIP guest book and took a group photo with the legislators present and the visiting guests.

In his speech, President Han warmly welcomed the Speaker Italeli and his wife as well as the delegation members. With Tuvalu having 16 legislators and Taiwan having 113, the fact that Taiwan’s three major political parties all sent representatives to participate in the meeting reveals that Taiwan, regardless of party affiliations, attaches great importance to the visit of the Speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu and his wife. President Han further noted that there are 47 female members in the current 11th legislature, accounting for 41 percent of the total members. As legislators are responsible for reviewing bills, budgetary bills, and other important motions, every legislator is of utmost importance. President Han stated that Tuvalu has been Taiwan’s strongest diplomatic ally, engaging in close bilateral cooperation in the fields of healthcare, technology, education, and fishery since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1979. Currently, a total of 40 Tuvalu students are living in Taiwan for academic purposes, showing that the friendship between Taiwan and Tuvalu has remained strong ever since and will continue to endure in the future.

In his speech, Speaker Italeli mentioned that he was very happy to have the opportunity to visit the Legislative Yuan. He congratulated President Han and Vice President Chiang for being elected and added that the speaker of parliament is a cornerstone of a democratic system. Such role demands impartiality, leadership, and fostering beneficial discussions among diverse parties. He emphasized that President Han’s election as the President of the Legislative Yuan representing the KMT is a significant moment in history. Not only does it demonstrate his determination to promote cross-party cooperation, it also means that the voices of both the ruling and opposition parties can be heard. This is extremely rare and valuable.

Speaker Italeli observed that Taiwan’s political landscape has become increasingly complex. Though the DPP continues to serve as the ruling party, it has to negotiate with the opposition parties during the legislative process, and this highlights the crucial role of the parliament speaker. He firmly believes that President Han and Vice President Chiang will place great importance on cross-party cooperation to strengthen Taiwan’s governance and showcase Taiwan’s spirit of partnership. Speaker Italeli continued to say that this is his first formal visit since he assumed office, making it highly significant. Having visited Taiwan as the Minister of Health and Social Welfare and the Governor-General of Tuvalu in 2010 and 2014 respectively, he felt deeply honored to be able to celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries as the speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu.

Speaker Italeli stressed that Taiwan and Tuvalu share a robust bilateral relationship, and he thanked Taiwan for its generous support for the construction of Tuvalu’s first modern Parliament Building, which bears remarkable meaning in Tuvalu’s history, while demonstrating the profound friendship between Taiwan and Tuvalu. He noted that Minister Ampelosa Manoa Tehulu, Member of Parliament Namoliki Sualiki Neemia, Assistant Secretary Pisi Seleganiu, and himself are members of the Parliament Building Construction Committee, bearing the responsibility to ensure the construction plan is well on track and completed on time. Speaker Italeli also mentioned that Tuvalu wants to actively deepen its partnership with Taiwan, and will continue to support Taiwan’s participation in international organizations. He believes that no country should be excluded from the international community, as the world also needs Taiwan’s contributions. Lastly, he expressed his sincere gratitude for Taiwan’s warm reception on behalf of the delegation and said he was looking forward to very successful results from this visit. He also hoped for an enduring and ever-strengthening friendship and that God bless both Taiwan and Tuvalu.

In her remarks, Wang Mei-Hui, President of the Parliamentary Friendship Association between Taiwan and Austronesian Languages Speaking Countries, welcomed the delegation led by the Speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu and his wife. Having had insisted on interpellation in her mother tongue for a long time, she asked Speaker Italeli whether they use their mother tongue for interpellation in parliament. That said, she hoped that Tuvalu will continue to support Taiwan in the international community, strengthening the friendship between the two nations. Speaker Italeli playfully responded that legislators in Tuvalu are also accustomed to interpellate in their mother tongue, and interpretations are required if they do so in English, bringing a smile on the faces of all attendees.

Legislator Chen Yeong-Kang, on behalf of the KMT, extended a warm welcome to Speaker Italeli and his wife, as well as the delegation members, and thanked the visiting members for their firm and long-term support of Taiwan’s democracy. He mentioned three issues, in which he believed Taiwan will lend a helping hand to Tuvalu. First, in response to the critical challenges of rising sea levels and climate change, Taiwan will assist Tuvalu in formulating a response plan; second, Taiwan will continue to provide excellent quality medical personnel and resources to assist Tuvalu in improving the environment and quality of medical care; third, Taiwan will continue to welcome students from Tuvalu for overseas studies to enhance the education level of Tuvalu.

Legislator Lin Yi-Chun thanked Speaker Italeli for leading the Tuvalu delegation to Taiwan for the third time, hoping that it would feel like coming back home. She pointed out that as Tuvalu is still facing tremendous challenges brought by climate change, increasing the level of collaboration between the two countries will certainly help Tuvalu in managing such obstacles. In addition, she also thanked the Tuvalu government for continuously voicing support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the international arena, especially in important international organizations such as the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

During the meeting, President Han and the legislators in attendance exchanged views on several issues, including Taiwan’s help of Tuvalu in constructing the Parliamentary Building and other multilateral cooperation projects, in a friendly and pleasant atmosphere. The meeting lasted approximately one hour. After taking group photos and exchanging souvenirs, it came to a successful end with President Han and legislators in attendance accompanying Mr. and Mrs. Italeli and the delegation members to the main gates waving goodbye and wishing them a smooth journey.