President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) says she hopes Belize and Taiwan can foster more exchanges together in terms of trade and culture. Tsai made the remarks on Sunday, when she hosted a banquet in Belize for representatives of the overseas Taiwanese community.
Tsai says although Belize and Taiwan are far apart, their hearts have always been close to each other. She also thanked Belize and its overseas Taiwanese community for providing anti-epidemic supplies to countries around the world throughout the pandemic.
The president says she hopes to promote economic, trade and cultural exchanges between the two countries. She also encouraged the Taiwanese delegation to purchase more local specialties, such as cocoa and chili sauces, so Taiwanese people could try the delicious Belizean imports.
Tsai praised the overseas Chinese community for actively speaking out for Taiwan and supporting its international participation. She added that Taiwan shares the values of democracy and freedom with the world, and the country will protect these principles.
The overseas community commission head Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) says the number of overseas Taiwanese in Belize was as high as 3,000 at its peak, but now only 400 actually live in the country. But she added that the overseas community in Belize is special because nearly 50 are Indigenous Taiwanese, accounting for the highest proportion in the world.