On the morning of October 28, President Tsai Ing-wen departed on her trip to visit three diplomatic allies in the Pacific—the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and the Solomon Islands. Her departure marked the beginning of an eight-day, seven-night trip with the theme "Sustainable Austronesia, Working Together for a Better Future—2017 State Visits to Pacific Allies." In remarks issued before boarding the plane, the president said this trip has two main goals.