Diplomatic relations between Palau and Taiwan will remain solid and strong no matter which candidate wins Palau's upcoming presidential election because both candidates are friendly toward Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday.After the first round of voting on Sept. 23, the two runners-up, incumbent Vice President Elias Camsek Chin and Johnson Toribiong, former Palau ambassador to Taiwan, will face each other in the Nov. 4 runoff for the presidency.
"Both candidates are good friends of Taiwan and therefore our relations with Palau will not be affected by the outcome of the election," said Victor Yu, director-general of the MOFA's Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
He added that Taiwan and Palau share close relations, citing that Taiwanese visitors make up one third of the total tourist arrivals in Palau. According to Yu, the result of Palau's presidential election is expected on Nov. 11. The new president will be sworn in next January.