Belize Prime Minister John Briceno is on a visit to Taiwan for five days to enhance bilateral ties between the Commonwealth country and its East Asian counterpart – which is a Caribbean ally.
The Central American country is one of the 14 diplomatic allies Taiwan has around the world. The two countries have maintained official diplomatic ties since 1989, reported Focus Taiwan.
During his visit, Briceno will be honoured by President Tsai Ing-wen, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a statement. Tsai has welcomed Briceno and his delegation with a military salute before conferring on the Prime Minister the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon for his role in enhancing ties between the countries, the statement said.
The visit is the his first trip to Taiwan in 16 years and the first time he has visited the country as prime minister, a post he took up in November 2020, it said. Briceno will also meet with Vice President Lai Ching-te, and the two will head together to Tainan, where it was reported that Briceno received an honorary doctorate from Tainan-based Kun Shan University.
Lai and Briceno last met in January when they were in Honduras for the inauguration of President Xiomara Castro. During his five-day trip, Briceno is also due to meet with Premier Su Tseng-chang, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu and participate in a Belize business opportunity forum and meet with Belizean students in Taiwan, according to MOFA.
