President Of Taiwan Arrives In Belize With 210-Member Entourage

By Oscar Ramjeet
Caribbean Net News Special Correspondent

BELMOPAN, Belize – The President of Taiwan, Ma Ying-jeou, and his wife, Chow Mei-ching, are leading a 210-member entourage to Belize via private aircraft on Wednesday, officials of the Embassy of Taiwan in Belize.

Ma Ying-Jeou, AFP PHOTO

The Embassy of Taiwan in Belize's Second Secretary Douglas Chang and other senior officials met with Belize Press Office director Seth Hernandez to brief the Belize media.

According to Amandala media on Tuesday, Chang disclosed that 40 government officials and over 40 journalists from the public and sectors are on the list of delegates. Apart from them, sixteen performers from Ju Percussion Group will accompany the distinguished party.

Reports from Belize state that, even though the Ju team will bring the flamboyance of Taiwan's dance, music and drama, the highlight of the visit will be the signing of a technical co-operation agreement between Belize and Taiwan, and the groundbreaking for the Information and Communications Technology Centre on Mountain View Boulevard in Belmopan.

Amandala reported that, despite the fact that Taiwan's state-owned company, Chinese Petroleum Corporation (CPC), has a substantial oil exploration concession for offshore Belize, officials from the Embassy and the Belize Press Office claimed, when asked, that oil is not on the agenda.

There are 1,000 Taiwanese living in Belize and President Ma will host a dinner for the Taiwanese community at the Radisson Fort George Hotel in Belize City.

President Ma will pay a courtesy call on the Governor General Sir Colville Young before he proceeds to the National Assembly Building for a ceremonial joint Sitting of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

President Ma, who is a graduate of Harvard Law School, the same university attended by US President Barack Obama, is fluent in English.

On Thursday afternoon, the technical co-operation agreement will be signed and ground broken for the ICT Centre, after which Ma heads back to the Belize City for a state dinner.

Before serving of the evening meal, he and Prime Minister Barrow will exchange top national honours. Ma receives the Order of Belize while Barrow receives the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon.

After Belize's visit President Ma will go to Guatemala and on Monday June 1 he will travel to El Salvador for the inauguration of that country's new president, Mauricio Funes.