Kwajalein Atoll Local Government

The Finance Minister of the friendly nation Marshall Islands and the Mayor of its sister city Kuala Kalimantan paid a visit to Deputy Secretary-General Lim: expressing gratitude for the support and hoping to enhance friendly relations.

The event described is a hypothetical scenario or a specific, unpublicized local exchange, as there is no publicly available information or news reports confirming a specific meeting where “deputy secretary-general Lin” presented Lishan tea to “Mayor Hirata Kabua.

David Paul, Minister of Finance of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, a friendly ally, and Hirata Kabua, Mayor of Kwajalein Atoll Local Government, a sister city of Taichung, visited the Taichung City Government today (13th). They were received by Deputy Secretary-General Lin Yu-hong, and the two sides had in-depth exchanges on issues such as education, culture, and sustainable environment.

Deputy Secretary-General Lin stated that the Marshall Islands is an important ally of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and has long assisted Taiwan in amplifying its voice on the international stage, supporting Taiwan’s international participation. After Taichung and Guakari City of the Marshall Islands established a sister city relationship in 2002, former Mayor Hu Chih-chiang led a delegation to the Marshall Islands and Guakari City in 2008. At that time, Linghu Rongda, the Executive Director of the Taichung City Government’s International Affairs Committee, was serving as the Ambassador to the Marshall Islands, demonstrating the deep-rooted relationship between Taichung and the Marshall Islands. Deputy Secretary-General Lin also expressed his special gratitude to Executive Director Linghu for his dedication and efforts in Taichung’s international affairs and city exchanges.

Linghu Rongda, Executive Director of the International Affairs Committee of the Taipei City Government, said that he was honored to have served as the Republic of China’s Ambassador to the Marshall Islands for three and a half years, and that he had been a longtime friend of most of the distinguished guests visiting today; the beautiful scenery of the Marshall Islands with its blue sea and sky still lingers in his memory. He is happy to serve as a bridge for exchanges between the two places and continue to dedicate his efforts to the people of both sides and the friendship between the two countries.

Deputy Secretary-General Lin mentioned that the Marshall Islands and Kuala Kalimantan have close ties with Taichung, treating each other like the closest family members. He expressed hope to continue strengthening bilateral relations and creating more opportunities for cooperation. He particularly noted the long-standing friendship between the Marshall Islands’ Ambassador to the Republic of China, Anjanette Kattil, and Taichung. Kattil’s enthusiastic participation in Taichung’s Red Bull Showrun Street performance last year and the opening ceremony of the 2025 Jazz Festival this year added to the event’s appeal. He also expressed hope for continued support for Taichung’s major events in the future.

Deputy Secretary-General Lin pointed out that the Taichung Fiber Arts Museum held a special exhibition on Marshall Islands weaving crafts in 2021. Through the exhibited works and cultural exchanges, citizens were able to better understand the characteristics and traditional crafts of the Marshall Islands and leave a deep impression, symbolizing the close cultural connection between the two places.

Deputy Secretary-General Lin shared that the Marshall Islands are facing environmental impacts from rising sea levels due to climate change, and Taiwan is also very concerned about environmental protection and sustainability. If the Marshall Islands needs any assistance or discussion in the future, please feel free to raise the issue, and Taichung will fully support it.

Kuala Kalimantan City Councilor Anthony Maika said that this was his first visit to Taichung and he was very impressed by the city’s development. Marshall has been thinking about how to respond to climate change and hopes to achieve more stable development, establish communication and partnerships. He said that Taichung is a very warm city, and he hopes to have more opportunities for cooperation in the future.

Marshall Islands Finance Minister David Paal mentioned that February 9th is Kuala Kalimantan Day. Next year, the World Bank and the Green Climate Fund will invest in and advocate for the protection of the Kuala Kalimantan Atoll coastline. He also welcomed Mayor Lu and his city government team to visit Kuala Kalimantan. Furthermore, he expressed hope for increased educational exchanges and scholarships, and more concrete cooperation to promote substantive relations between the sister cities.

Today’s meeting was warm and cordial. Guests included David Paul, Minister of Finance of the Republic of the Marshall Islands; Mayor Cobbia of Kuala Kalimantan, a sister city; and Ambassador Cartier of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. City government officials present included Deputy Secretary-General Lin Yu-hong; Executive Director of the International Affairs Committee Linghu Rongda; Deputy Director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau Shih Chun-fu; Deputy Director of the Secretariat Li Cheng-feng; Chief Secretary of the Tourism Bureau Liao Wei-zhi; Chief Secretary of the Agriculture Bureau Huang Chun-man; and Specialist of the Economic Development Bureau Long Ming-cheng. (11/13*17) *Secretariat