Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen will visit Haiti on Saturday to kickoff her four-island tour of the Caribbean.

Haiti Sentinel.com

On July 1, the office of the Taiwanese president announced a state visit to Haiti, St Christopher and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Saint Lucia from July 11-22; all four countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

The Taiwanese delegation will include the National Security Council Secretary-General David T. Lee, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu, Minister Wu Hsin-hsing of the Overseas Community Affairs Council, and other cabinet and deputy cabinet members, members of the Legislative Yuan, and representatives of business and industry.

In Haiti, Presidents Jovenel Moise and Tsai Ing-wen will jointly preside over a ribbon cutting ceremony. The two will have dinner before the Taiwanese delegation leaves before the end of the day.

Taiwan says the purpose of the visits are to demonstrate the importance the country places on its Caribbean allies and its intention to continue to strengthen ties with them.

At a press conference before the trip, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Miguel Li-Jey Tsao pointed out that these visits center around the themes of freedom, democracy, and sustainability because the four Caribbean countries president Tsai Ing-wen delegation will be visiting, as well as the United States, where she will make transit stops, are all free, democratic, like-minded partners of Taiwan. All these countries actively promote democracy and freedom in the region.