Taiwan has donated US$2 million in development cooperation funds to the Pacific Islands Forum to advance the goals of the organization’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. That came in a press release from the Taipei Trade Office in Fiji on Wednesday, June 1.

According to the release, the funds will go towards supporting the PIF Secretariat’s objectives, supporting small island states, and promoting various regional cooperation programs through the Council of Regional Organizations of the Pacific (CROP). Additionally, Taiwan will continue supporting the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC) and the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) to reinforce the ‘shared vision of a resilient, sustainable, and prosperous Blue Pacific.’

Acting Representative of the Taipei Trade Office in Fiji Jason Chih-Sheng Huang (黃志勝) said at the donation ceremony on Tuesday, June 30, in the Fiji capital of Suva, that Taiwan is not only an important development partner in the Pacific but also a member of the Pacific island community, sharing the ocean and facing common challenges including climate change, sustainable development, and disaster resilience. He added that Taiwan will continue to deepen practical cooperation with the forum’s member states in areas such as trade, fisheries, agriculture, education, healthcare, disaster resilience, and people-to-people exchanges.

PIF Secretariat Deputy Secretary-General Esala Nayasi expressed gratitude for Taiwan’s close partnership with the PIF over many years. He added that the donation demonstrates both parties’ commitment to deepening regional cooperation and jointly realizing the vision of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.