Overview
- Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, who was welcomed with military honors Friday in Taipei, said his country “deeply values” the relationship and will keep supporting Taiwan.
- Peña and Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te oversaw new agreements, including a memorandum on an artificial-intelligence computing center, as Peña led a government and business delegation seeking trade and investment deals.
- China’s foreign ministry urged Asunción to “stand on the right side of history” and sever relations with Taipei, restating its demand that countries recognize Beijing under its one-China policy.
- Paraguay is Taiwan’s only ally in South America and one of just 12 worldwide, even as Beijing has courted Paraguayan lawmakers and media figures with organized visits since late 2023 to encourage a diplomatic switch.
- Peña condemned Chinese military and economic pressure on Taiwan, including efforts to block flight permissions for Taiwanese leaders, and said the island should be free to engage other nations.