, H.E. Dr. Lin Chia-Lung, and his delegation concluded their Belize visit.){kind=link}
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan), H.E. Dr. Lin Chia-Lung, and his delegation concluded their Belize visit on Wednesday, September 30th, with a trip to San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye. Mayor Gualberto “Wally” Nuñez and Town Council Science Advisor Valentine Rosado welcomed the delegation, whose itinerary included a beach inspection, technical discussions on sargassum, a business exchange lunch, and a tour of the San Pedro and Caye Caulker General Hospital construction site.
The delegation arrived by catamaran at the Amigos del Mar Pier and traveled by golf cart to the SunBreeze Hotel. Officials then inspected the beach beside the hotel, where accumulated sargassum had affected the shoreline. They received information about the scale of the problem and its impact on tourism, coastal communities, and the marine environment.
Sargassum has affected several Caribbean countries, prompting authorities to explore ways to collect, manage, and potentially reuse the seaweed rather than treating it solely as waste.
The beach inspection was followed by a technical meeting at the SunBreeze Hotel. Participants included Lin and his delegation; Mayor Nuñez; Minister of State for Economic Transformation Dr. Osmond Martinez; Belize’s Ambassador to Taiwan, H.E. Katherine Meighan; Cabinet Secretary Stuart Leslie; Chief Tourism Officer Josue Carballo; and Caye Caulker Chairlady Seleny Villanueva.
Also attending were Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Solid Waste Management Honorable Orlando Habet; the ministry’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Milagro Matus; Ministry of Tourism, Sports and Diaspora Relations CEO Nicole Usher; and Ministry of Blue Economy and Marine Conservation CEO Beverly Wade.
During the meeting, Rosado presented a video and aerial images illustrating the extent of sargassum accumulation along the island’s coastline. Presentations explored how the seaweed could be collected, processed, and potentially converted into energy. Officials also discussed developing an integrated response system and incorporating sargassum into a circular economy model, in which collected material could be repurposed into useful products.
Discussions highlighted the need for greater private-sector participation. Officials noted that existing cooperation largely involved hotels and restaurants assisting with beach cleanups, while broader partnerships would be needed to establish collection, processing, and energy-generation systems.
Lin emphasized government-to-government cooperation, technical expertise, and possible connections with Taiwan’s industrial and carbon-reduction programs.
Mayor Nuñez said the visit strengthened cooperation between Belize and Taiwan and highlighted two major priorities for San Pedro: the hospital project and sargassum management. He stressed that neither the municipality nor central government could address the seaweed problem alone.
“It is a collaborative effort,” Nuñez said, adding that sargassum remained a regional Caribbean challenge for which no single solution had been found.
Cabinet Secretary Leslie thanked the Taiwanese delegation for visiting Belize and San Pedro. He said the trip provided an opportunity to review the hospital’s progress and examine the sargassum challenge, which he described as a serious concern for the island’s development and tourism resources.
During the business exchange lunch at Blue Water Grill, officials also celebrated Leslie’s birthday, which coincided with the visit. They presented a small cake, and those gathered sang birthday wishes.
The delegation later toured the hospital construction site. Mayor Nuñez said work was progressing and hoped the facility could be completed by April 2027, potentially earlier if construction continues on schedule. The Belize–Taiwan cooperation project is intended to improve access to health services for residents of San Pedro and surrounding islands.
Once completed, the hospital is expected to accommodate 63 beds, two operating suites, and four specialist outpatient clinics. Planned facilities include emergency rooms, an asthma bay, an observation room, labor and delivery facilities, and general, surgical, and maternity wards.
The hospital is also expected to offer laboratory and diagnostic services, including ultrasound and X-rays. Supporting facilities will include a pharmacy, kitchen, waste-management facilities, a central sterilization unit, and a morgue with an autopsy facility.
This was Lin’s second visit to San Pedro. During his October 2024 visit, he toured the hospital site while construction was in its initial stages. His return offered an opportunity to assess progress on a project both countries identified as a visible example of their bilateral partnership.
Further discussions are expected to explore potential sargassum pilot projects and opportunities for private-sector involvement. Officials emphasized that a lasting response would require cooperation among government agencies, municipalities, and the business community.