A special ROC delegation led by Premier Jiang Yi-huah returned to Taiwan tonight after a successful visit to the Republic of El Salvador to attend the inauguration of its new president, Salvador Sánchez Cerén, and new vice president, Oscar Ortiz, and take part in a number of official celebrations and visits.
Premier Jiang and his wife, Lee Su-san, received a warm and courteous reception from the Salvadoran government throughout their stay. On May 31, the day before the inauguration ceremony, the premier met with outgoing First Lady Vanda Pignato, and the two shared the experiences and fruits of Taiwanese-Salvadoran collaborative plans to advance social welfare.
That day the premier also met with President-elect Salvador Sánchez Cerén and Vice-President-elect Oscar Ortiz on separate occasions. Both expressed their gratitude to Taiwan for long providing their country with assistance and contributing to various cooperative projects. They also reiterated that the longstanding friendship between the Republic of China and the Republic of El Salvador will grow even stronger and that the new administration is determined to solidify various future collaborative plans with Taiwan.
The premier and his wife were also well-received at the Salvadoran presidential and vice presidential inauguration ceremony. When the master of ceremonies announced the couple's entry to the ceremony, all the dignitaries and people present gave a hearty round of applause to welcome them.
Moreover, during the inauguration ceremony and the national banquet, Premier and Mrs. Jiang chatted with Dominican President Danilo Medina Sánchez; former Guatemalan President Álvaro Colom and Vice President Rafael Espada; Felipe, Prince of Asturias, who is soon to be crowned King Felipe VI of Spain; Belize's Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega; and envoys and heads of delegations from nations such as the United States and Japan.
The delegation also inspected the progress of the One Town One Product (OTOP) project, an important Taiwanese-Salvadoran cooperation initiative that has assisted El Salvador to develop its own local specialty products. The project has been quite successful in improving Salvadorans' livelihoods and has earned the acclaim of their government.
The success of the OTOP project also proves the correctness and fruitfulness of the ROC's foreign aid policy, which respects other governments' objectives and upholds the policy direction to "seek proper goals, act lawfully, and exercise effective administration," officials remarked.
During a short stay in the U.S. city of Los Angeles on the way back to Taiwan, Premier and Mrs. Jiang dined with ROC overseas compatriots at a banquet. At the event, the premier elucidated important government policies and boosted morale by expressing the government's concern and support for overseas compatriots as well as ROC officials stationed abroad and family members accompanying them.
Throughout the stopover in southern California, Jiang met and talked to representatives from the academic and business world and leaders of the overseas community, holding a seminar in addition to the banquet. He encouraged businesses to invest in Taiwan, listened to academics' and businesspeople's wide range of suggestions for the government, and answered their questions in detail. Discussion was fervent and meaningful.
As the special envoy of President Ma at the inauguration of El Salvador's president and vice president, Premier Jiang was treated with great respect by the Salvadoran government. This demonstrated the importance placed on the ROC-El Salvador relationship, which will be further enhanced to the mutual benefit of both sides, officials said.