Jaushieh Joseph Wu
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
February 14, 2023
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Good evening!
1.Welcoming Special Envoy Briceño and the delegation
Today, I am greatly honored to host a banquet to welcome my close friend, Her Excellency Rossana Briceño, and her distinguished delegation to Taiwan. Allow me to once again extend my sincere greetings and gratitude to you all. I can clearly remember Her Excellency’s visit to Taiwan with Prime Minister John Briceño, Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay, and other delegation members last March. This time, H.E. Briceño is here to attend the Empower Women! Empower LAC! International Forum. The event demonstrates the close friendship between Taiwan and Belize and is an opportunity to celebrate the remarkable achievements of the Taiwan-Belize women’s empowerment program.
2.Close bilateral cooperation
Since Taiwan and Belize established diplomatic ties in 1989, our governments have continued to help each other and closely cooperate in areas such as infrastructure, medicine and public health, agriculture, environmental sustainability, information and communication technology, culture, education, as well as women’s empowerment. Our bilateral projects have all proceeded smoothly. Entering the postpandemic era, Taiwan and Belize are further strengthening cooperation on women’s empowerment and economic recovery. Since October 2021, we have been working together to provide women with training and develop micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in Belize.
H.E. Briceño is an esteemed educator who knows that schooling is key to national development. I am proud to say that Belize is one of the most successful examples of our International Higher Education Scholarship Program. In 2022, Taiwan awarded a total of 53 full scholarships to Belizean students to assist them in seeking further education in Taiwan. This number was not only a new high for Belize but also topped all our other Central American allies. I was excited to learn that H.E. Briceño’s office is partnering with Taiwan’s Embassy in Belize to promote our secondary school scholarship program. Through this meaningful initiative, talented Belizean students from vulnerable families all over the country receive subsidies to cover annual tuition fees. Taiwan attaches great importance to promoting education in Belize. These joint efforts demonstrate the robust partnership between our countries and the close friendship between our peoples.
3.Expressing admiration for Special Envoy Briceño’s dedication to fighting for women’s and children’s rights and appreciation for her support of the Taiwan-Belize women’s empowerment program
H.E. Briceño has long advocated for women’s and children’s rights and fought for gender equality. She has focused on ending gender-based violence and assisting victims of domestic abuse. For the past two years in her role as Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children, as well as being the Chair of the Spouses of CARICOM Leaders Actions Network, she has received widespread praise for the positive impact she has made in promoting women’s financial independence and achieving equal education for girls.
Please allow me to extend my appreciation to H.E. Briceño for her staunch support of the Taiwan-Belize women’s empowerment program. She actively participates in the initiative as a member of the steering committee, provides consultation to our Embassy and Technical Mission in Belize on how to promote the program, and attends related events together with Prime Minister Briceño.
4.Concluding remarks
Finally, I wish to propose a toast to the good health of the delegation led by H.E. Briceño, to the success of their visit, and to the everlasting partnership between Taiwan and Belize! Thank you.