The Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Brenson Wase, has accepted an invitation from the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and led a delegation to visit Taiwan, where he is scheduled to meet with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) announced that Brenson Wase, the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, along with three bipartisan members of the Marshallese political sphere including Senators Jack Ading, Wilbur Heine, and Bruce Loeak, arrived in Taiwan from the 11th to the 16th. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jodiann Chang, welcomed the delegation upon their arrival in Taiwan.
This visit marks the first official visit by Speaker Wase since taking office, aimed at promoting parliamentary exchanges between Taiwan and the Marshall Islands, and strengthening the longstanding friendship between the two countries. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed a warm welcome to the delegation.
During their stay in Taiwan, the delegation is scheduled to meet with President Lai Ching-te, visit Legislative Yuan Speaker Han Kuo-yu, Chairman of the Council of Indigenous Peoples Icyang Parod, and Taipei Mayor Hsu Sheng-chieh. They will also attend a banquet hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu.
On the 12th, the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China (Taiwan) passed amendments to the Customs Import Tariff Regulations, exempting 3,043 agricultural and industrial products originating from the Marshall Islands from tariffs as part of Taiwan’s commitment to tariff reductions under the Taiwan-Marshall Islands Economic Cooperation Agreement. The Ministry of Finance evaluated that these amendments will deepen bilateral economic and trade relations and contribute to Taiwan’s management of economic and trade relations in the Pacific region.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) emphasized the close and friendly relations between Taiwan and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, as both countries share universal values such as democracy, freedom, and human rights. Over the long term, the two nations have collaborated closely in areas including food security, healthcare, infrastructure, climate change adaptation, and women’s empowerment. Speaker Wase’s visit aims to facilitate in-depth discussions on these issues to further enhance the partnership between Taiwan and the Marshall Islands.