Ma was speaking on Monday during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis Shawn Kenneth Richards. St. Kitts and Nevis is one of Taiwan’s five diplomatic allies in the Caribbean region.

Ma said that Taiwan has participated as an observer at the annual World Health Assembly for seven years. However, he said that Taiwan has not yet been able to participate in the WHO. Ma asked for St. Kitts and Nevis to continue speaking out for Taiwan on the international stage and to support Taiwan’s bid to gain WHO observer status.

During the meeting, Ma also talked about bilateral cooperation between Taiwan and St. Kitts and Nevis over the two countries’ 32 years of formal diplomatic relations.

The Republic of China on Taiwan was the first country that St. Kitts and Nevis recognized upon the country’s independence in 1983. Ma said that since then, cooperation between the two countries has led to achievements including the construction of the Caribbean’s first solar power plant.