The check was turned over by Taiwan Ambassador to Palau Maggie Tien to officials of the local government headed by President Johnson Toribiong.
Tien said the assistance is a special one-time grant to help Palau with its urgent needs in terms of public safety, transportation with outlying states and revival of traditional heritage in ceramic craftsmanship.
The 12 brand new patrol cars, which will cost $260,000, will replace the old ones of the Bureau of Public Safety. They will enhance patrol services and the mobility of the police nationally.
The $535,000 transportation boat will serve the regular commuting need between Angaur and Koror, which has been disrupted from time to time due to dilapidation and breakdown of the existing boat.
The Palau Ceramics Arts project is aimed at reviving traditional pottery-making skills and introducing innovative new ideas in ceramic works so as to lay foundation for possible ceramics industry and to create job opportunities in the near future, through a series of workshops and exhibitions to be organized in 2011 by ceramic artists from Taiwan.
The project is also expected to boost tourism in Palau by creating ceramic artifacts and artwork with distinctive cultural characteristics.
Tien said these donations demonstrate that Taiwan will continue to be a proactive and active partner of progress of Palau.
On behalf of the Palau government, Toribiong thanked Taiwan for the assistance.
Palau is one of the only 23 nations in the world that have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which calls itself the “Republic of China.” China considers Taiwan its “renegade province.”
