SECOND DESTINATION:The president is to travel to Paraguay on June 27, a day after the inauguration of the expanded Panama Canal, and deliver a speech to parliament
Taipei Times
Date: Jun 15, 2016
By: Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) would interact naturally
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Javier Hou speaks at a news conference at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday, announcing details of President Tsai Ing-wen’s visit to Panama and Paraguay. Photo: CNA
with representatives of China and other nations without diplomatic ties with Taiwan at the inauguration ceremony of the newly expanded Panama Canal later this month, as it released more details of Tsai’s first overseas state visit.
“From the ministry’s understanding, China will be sending the deputy head of its Ministry of Commerce’s Department of Outward Investment and Economic Cooperation, who is relatively low-ranking, to attend the ceremony,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Javier Hou (侯清山) told a news conference at the Presidential Office.
Hou said Tsai is expected to have “natural interactions” with Beijing’s representative at the ceremony on June 26 in Panama, just as she would with representatives of Taiwan’s other non-diplomatic allies.
It means Tsai would not be indifferent to the representatives should they approach to say hello and might respond by giving a nod, Hou said, adding that Tsai is also likely to hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of the nation’s nine diplomatic allies invited to attend the ceremony. [FULL STORY]
