Vice president wants deeper ties with Pacific Island nations

Vice President Chen Chien-jen (???) expressed hope Wednesday that Taiwan will continue to expand and strengthen its cooperation with Pacific Island countries.

Chen made the remark at the Presidential Office during a meeting with a delegation of participants in the Pacific Islands Leadership Program with Taiwan (PILP), an initiative designed for individuals from the Pacific Islands who have a deep interest in leadership training and promoting peace and prosperity in the region.

Taiwan and the Pacific Island countries share such universal values as democracy, freedom and human rights, and are all concerned about issues such as climate change, economic development, environmental protection and regional security, Chen said.

Noting that Taiwan is an important partner of these countries in their development, the vice president also said that it provides scholarships to young people in the region seeking to study in Taiwan, through international organizations such as the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

Taiwan maintains close cooperative relations with countries in the region in the areas of medicine and health, fishery, vocational training, food security, clean energy and cultural exchanges, Chen went on, adding that it also wants to share its development experience.

The vice president also noted that the PILP program was launched in 2013 with the aim of training 125 young people with good leadership development potential in five years, and 96 young leaders have since then completed the training.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel