Dr. Roy Chun Lee
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
June 12, 2023
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Good evening! Magadang gabi!
It is an honor to attend tonight’s reception celebrating the 125th Independence Day of the Philippines. On behalf of Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the people and government of the Philippines on this auspicious occasion.
Tonight’s celebration is especially meaningful. This is the first in-person commemoration of the Philippines’ Independence Day in Taiwan since the outbreak of COVID-19. Taiwan and the Philippines both showed great strength and resilience during the pandemic. Before, during, and after the pandemic, Taiwan and the Philippines have been steadfast partners and friends. We enjoy close economic interactions and people-to-people exchanges. And we also share a commitment to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and such common values as democracy and the rule of law.
Since the launch of the New Southbound Policy in 2016, relations between Taiwan and the Philippines have grown even stronger, especially in economics and trade. In 2022, bilateral trade stood at 10.7 billion US dollars, an increase of 18 percent from 2021. Taiwan was the Philippines’ eighth-largest trading partner, export market, and source of imports. At the same year, Taiwan was the tenth largest FDI in the Philippines. Based on accumulated figures, Taiwan is the seventh-largest investor in the Philippines. Indeed, there is great potential for even more economic cooperation.
Manila is just a one-and-a-half-hour flight from Taipei. In the first quarter of 2023, some 60,000 Filipino tourists visited Taiwan, and over 46,000 Taiwanese traveled to the Philippines. Cebu, Palawan, and Boracay are very popular destinations. With 94 direct weekly flights connecting Taipei and Kaohsiung with Manila, Cebu, and Clark, there is equally great potential for growth in tourism between our countries in the years ahead.
In 2021, Taiwan and the Philippines launched the Filipino Young Farmers Internship Program in Taiwan. To date, more than 70 young Filipinos have learned advanced skills and technologies through internships in our fisheries and agriculture industries in Hsinchu, Pingtung, and Hualien. These young farmers now have much to contribute to the Philippine agricultural sector and will serve as a shining example of our effective cooperation in this area.
Taiwan and the Philippines are close neighbors with closely aligned values. Our friendship has remained strong and unwavering for decades. And our ties are rooted in deep people-to-people connections, which have contributed to this robust and mutually beneficial partnership across a full spectrum of interests.
In closing, I would like to propose a toast: to the continued prosperity of the Philippines, to our nations’ ever-growing friendship, and to the good health and happiness of all of tonight’s guests. Thank you, and mabuhay!