The Taiwan legislature held an event Wednesday celebrating Taiwan’s hurricane relief contributions to its diplomatic ally Belize. The Taiwanese government donated US$200,000 in relief funds to Belize after it was struck by Hurricane Lisa last November. Wednesday's event was a joint effort between a number of NGOs, local enterprises and schools.
Candice Augusta Pitts, Belize's ambassador to Taiwan, gave a speech highlighting Belize’s post-hurricane recovery efforts. She noted that Taiwan was one of the first countries to respond to Belize’s request for aid, and expressed thanks for Taiwan’s support.
Andrea Clare Bowman, Ambassador from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, also attended the event. In her speech, she praised Taiwan for their humanitarian assistance, and called Taiwan a true friend. The small island nation is another of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in the Caribbean.
The event comes as Taiwan struggles to maintain its diplomatic allies in the Latin American region. Since 2017, four countries in the Latin American region have severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favor of establishing relations with China.