Lai treats Tuvalu PM to traditional rice cake as birthday dish at reception

Taipei, Oct. 10 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and Tuvaluan Prime Minister Feleti Penitala Teo on Thursday night enjoyed an array of Taiwanese delicacies at the National Day reception in Taipei, including a traditional Tainan glutinous rice dish that Lai said was meant to celebrate Teo's 62nd birthday.

During the event held at the Taipei Guest House, Lai, accompanied by Teo, enjoyed Taiwanese dishes and drinks prepared by Tainan-based Taiwanese restaurant Asha during the reception.

Among the dishes included Asha's trademark steamed giant mud crab with glutinous rice and Alishan coffee sausages.

Asked about the glutinous rice dish, Lai -- who had served as Tainan mayor -- told reporters that he invited Teo for a bowl of glutinous rice "to celebrate his birthday."

Teo, who is making his second visit to Taiwan this year after attending Lai's inauguration on May 20, also sampled dishes from a Tainan restaurant known for its steamed shrimp meatballs during the reception.

Teo told reporters that he really enjoyed the meatballs and he even considered visiting Tainan with his wife to learn how to make the meatballs themselves.

Teo's 62nd birthday was on Oct. 9. On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) hosted a banquet for Teo to welcome his ongoing Taiwan trip and celebrated the Pacific ally leader's birthday with a cake during the banquet.

In addition to the food and beverages, the annual reception also included a series of musical performances staged by Indigenous singer Hani Kacaw, Tendrum Art Percussion Group, Resident Island Dance Theatre, and Sun Son Theatre, among others.

According to MOFA, around 183 foreign dignitaries are in Taiwan for the country's National Day celebrations, including Thursday night's reception.

Among them are 14 official delegations consisting of 91 representatives or their spouses from foreign diplomatic missions based in Taiwan, the ministry said.

In addition, there were six delegations led by foreign dignitaries from countries that have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

These foreign delegations included Teo, Belize's Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' Deputy Prime Minister Montgomery Daniel, Saint Lucia's Senate President Alvina Reynolds and House Speaker Claudius J. Francis, Guatemala's First Lady Lucrecia Peinado, and Palau's Minister of State Gustav Aitaro.