Taiwanese ship hosts local visitors
The streets of Belize City are not always a safe place, but today they were teeming with throngs of strange people, none of whom it seems, came to any harm. The reason for the invasion was a never before experienced confluence of events in the harbour: the anchoring of two cruise ships along with a squadron of three naval vessels from Taiwan. The result was over two thousand tourists roaming through Belize City, quite a few of whom managed to purchase at least one souvenir. At the same time visitors were pouring off their ships, another smaller group was travelling in the opposite direction. News 5’s Stewart Krohn was among them.
Stewart Krohn, Reporting
The Prime Minister and his party quickly found their sea legs and were welcomed aboard the flagship of the Taiwanese squadron. With most of the almost nine hundred sailors on shore leave there was plenty of room for a tour of the vessel and its display of Taiwanese culture and industrial products.
English speaking guides were provided as well as Mandarin for the large delegation of Taiwanese living in Belize. There was a round of traditional toasts as well as official speeches by Prime Minister Said Musa, Ambassador Charles Tsai and Admiral Kuang Chi Kao. The marching band that had entertained so well at Memorial Park on Monday again showed off its musical skills with a rendition of our national anthem that could only have been perfected during long months at sea.
Although the voyage to Belize and seven other countries is called a goodwill visit, the blue water experience is crucial for young sailors whose main task is the very real responsibility of protecting Taiwan from any threat from the Chinese mainland.
Charles Tsai, Taiwanese Ambassador
“It’s very important. If at any time we were to face a threat from Mainland China, so we have to keep our navy strong enough to defend our self.”
And while Taiwan’s Navy will not form part of any force defending Belize, Prime Minister Said Musa believes that the technical and economic assistance provided by Taiwan has made a major impact on Belize’s growing economy.
Prime Minister Said Musa
“We are very happy with the way things have been going, especially in the field of agriculture, where we are really making some breakthroughs with their technical assistance at Central Farm. And of course, as you know, they have been assisting us with ten million Belize dollars a year for our housing programme, and that has gone extremely well.
And according to all reports, things also went well for the sailors visiting Belize. Their most popular souvenir was said to be Marie Sharp’s pepper sauce. Stewart Krohn for News Five.
The visitors who travelled out to the Taiwanese squadron did so in the two new eighty-foot vessels recently built by Bradley’s Boatyard for Belize Maritime Estates. The Michelle and Ashanti both proved to be well suited to their mission.
