President Tsai Ing-wen has arrived in Panama City, on her first overseas trip since assuming office May 20.
Tsai was afforded a red-carpet welcome upon her arrival on Saturday afternoon, local time. Panamanian officials and nearly 200 Taiwanese expatriates were on hand to give her an enthusiastic welcome.
Tsai is in Panama to attend the inauguration ceremony for the expanded Panama Canal, she will also meet with President Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez.
At a banquet on Sunday evening, Tsai lauded the Taiwanese expatriates in attendance, saying that their professional contributions had helped bring the two countries closer. She said that the people of Taiwan have long stood alongside the people of Panama in order to together achieve their ideals.
Tsai also spoke about Taiwan’s largest investor in Panama – the Evergreen Group – which is one of Taiwan’s biggest shipping and transportation conglomerates. Tsai said that the company had created a lot of jobs in Panama, and that the Evergreen containers passing through the Panama Canal every day were an excellent form of publicity for Taiwan.