Taipei, April 13 (CNA) The head of Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Chang Tzi-chin (張子敬) arrived in Palau on Tuesday to attend a conference on marine ecology and meet with the president of the Pacific island country.
Leading a delegation of officials from the foreign ministry, Coast Guard Administration and Ocean Affairs Council, Chang was welcomed by Palau Minister of State Gustav Aitaro at the airport, according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) statement.
The delegation was later received by Palau President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. at the presidential office.
Whipps described Palau and Taiwan as Pacific countries that have been doing their best to promote marine conservation and sustainable development, and he thanked Taiwan for helping his country host the two-day "Our Ocean Conference" (OCC) on Thursday and Friday.
The annual event, which has been held since 2014 but was not convened in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is aimed at taking concrete and significant actions to protect the ocean.
Aside from meeting with Palauan officials and attending a reception banquet organized by OCC co-hosts Palau and the United States, Chang also opened a Taiwan-organized exhibition in Palau on Tuesday, according to the statement.
The exhibition, titled "Toward a Zero Emission and Zero Waste Future," showcases Taiwan's efforts in marine conservation, marine security, and marine garbage recycling for people attending the OCC, which has drawn delegations from around 80 countries.
Chang will deliver a speech at the conference on April 14 on Taiwan's efforts in dealing with marine pollution, MOFA said.
It will be the first time Taiwan has attended the OCC in an official capacity, the statement said.
Taiwan's official participation at past events, held in Norway, Indonesia, Chile, Malta, and the United States, has been routinely opposed by China, forcing Taiwan's EPA chief to participate in a personal capacity.
This year, Taiwan has benefited from host Palau being one of its 14 diplomatic allies around the world, and China will not attend.
Sources: Overseas Community Affairs Council
