President Tsai Ing-wen's stop on Guam Friday followed brief visits in recent days to Hawaii, Tuvalu and the Solomon and Marshall Islands.
For President Ing-wen, this was the first presidential visit to the Pacific nations that still recognize her country, officially known as the Republic of China. Only 22 nations in the world still maintain diplomatic relations with the ROC. Whether the non-recognition of Taiwan by the U.S. remains a puzzle yet to be resolved by President Donald Trump, who has issued contrary statements.
Guam Governor Eddie Baza Calvo was recently in Taipei and paid a courtesy call on Tsai at her Presidential Office.
The President of the Republic of China is the head of state of the Republic of China (ROC) and commander-in-chief of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The ROC was founded in 1912 in China. However, after the ROC lost control of mainland China, the government of the Republic of China relocated to Taiwan in the late 1940s. The existing office of President was created in 1948 under the 1947 Constitution of the Republic of China. The first president under the constitution was Chiang Kai-shek. Tsai Ing-wen succeeded Ma Ying-jeou on 20 May 2016 as the first female president in the nation's history, according to Wikipedia.
Governor Calvo welcomed President Tsai Ing-wen during an afternoon event at the Latte of Freedom adjacent to the Governor's Office in Adelup: "There are many Guamanians of Taiwanese descent who make up the fabric of our island community. They are among many of our peer leaders in the Guam business community who have played a major role in shaping our prosperity, our economy and creating jobs for our people. They have made a positive inpact on our economy for generations now. And as neighbors in our region, our people share a common vision of a peaceful economy in this whole Pacific region."
President Tsai Ing-wen:[The climate and beaches of Guam are why] "50 thousand Taiwan people travel to Guam every year. We expect this number to grow even further with Taiwan's participation in the global entry program as a country in East Asia."
"Our historical and cultural roots date back centuries. Research suggests that the Chamorro people of Guam are very closely related to the indigenous people of Taiwan, like the people of the Marshall Islands and some of the other islands that I just visited. Our people have a common Australasian ancestry."
President Tsai Ing-wen brought a substantial press corps along for her visit to Guam.
