Foreign Minister Lin visits Tuvalu as special presidential envoy, deepening bilateral relations

Foreign Minister Lin visits Tuvalu as special presidential envoy, deepening bilateral relations

• Date：2026-03-07
• Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

March 7, 2026
No. 068

At the invitation of the government of Tuvalu, a diplomatic ally of Taiwan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung served as special presidential envoy in leading a delegation to Tuvalu in the South Pacific from March 4 to 5. The delegation was warmly received by the government and people of Tuvalu. After completing its itinerary, the group returned to Taiwan via Australia on the morning of March 7. The entire trip passed smoothly and successfully.

During a visit to Taiwan in November 2025, Tuvaluan Prime Minister Feleti Teo joined President Lai Ching-te in witnessing the two governments sign the Taiwan-Tuvalu Kaitasi Treaty, the Agreement on Diversifying Fisheries Cooperation, and the Letter of Intent on Sports Exchange and Cooperation. Building upon this solid foundation of bilateral relations, President Lai appointed Minister Lin to visit Tuvalu as special envoy, highlighting his appreciation and regard for the friendship between Taiwan and Tuvalu.

During his visit, Minister Lin met with Acting Governor General Afelee Pita, Prime Minister Teo, and Parliament Speaker Sir Iakoba Italeli, as well as cabinet ministers and other political figures and local leaders. He was also guest of honor at a state banquet hosted by Prime Minister Teo.

Minister Lin also presided over a geological drilling ceremony at the site planned for Tuvalu's new Parliament House. The structure is being constructed with support from Taiwan, demonstrating Taiwan's emphasis on high-quality assistance projects.

To mark the recent completion of the Taiwan-Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project-a program initiated in 2024 with financial investment from Taiwan and like-minded nations Australia and New Zealand-Minister Lin also used his visit to jointly preside over the completion and handover ceremony with the Tuvaluan side, showing Taiwan's commitment to assisting Tuvalu in strengthening the country's coastline and climate resilience through concrete action.

In addition, Minister Lin witnessed the progress that Tuvalu has made in improving its external connectivity and digital resilience. In a first of its kind for Taiwan, it participated alongside the United States, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand in the planning and construction of Tuvalu's Vaka submarine cable, resulting in the completion of the cable landing point in November 2024. This was part of the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project's flagship initiative concerning trusted internet networks and digital governance program. Moving forward, Taiwan will continue to assist Tuvalu in building cybersecurity capacity and promote its RISK Management Initiative on International Undersea Cables throughout the region so as to develop a more resilient security network for international undersea cables.

During his visit, Minister Lin also represented the Ministry of Finance in signing an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation between Taiwan and Tuvalu and conducted visits to inspect the results of bilateral cooperation in such areas as smart agriculture and smart medicine. It is hoped that both the signing and these achievements will spur more Taiwanese businesses to invest in Tuvalu going forward, as well as encourage Taiwan's fisheries sector to capitalize on the Agreement on Diversifying Fisheries Cooperation signed last year, thereby deepening more diverse Taiwan-Tuvalu fisheries cooperation in line with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project.

Since establishing diplomatic relations, Taiwan and Tuvalu have achieved remarkable results in a range of fields through long-term cooperation. Going forward, Taiwan will promote the further implementation of the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project in accordance with its concept of integrated diplomacy, promoting public-private partnerships and strengthening relations with diplomatic allies. (E)