Paraguayan President Santiago Peña has reaffirmed his country’s diplomatic relationship with Taiwan during a visit to Taipei, amid renewed pressure from Beijing to sever ties.
Speaking after receiving an honorary doctorate on Thursday (7 May), he described Paraguay–Taiwan relations as grounded in democracy, freedom, and institutional trust, extending beyond formal diplomatic recognition.
“Paraguay and Taiwan share a friendship built on a solid foundation, democracy, freedom, confidence in institutions, the dignity of hard work,” he said.
“Our bilateral relationship extends far beyond diplomatic formality. It is manifested in concrete actions, tangible achievements, and real opportunities for both of our nations.”
Paraguay remains one of only 12 countries globally, and the last in South America, to maintain official ties with Taiwan.
In Beijing earlier on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Paraguay should “stand on the right side of history” and “sever so-called diplomatic relations with the Taiwan authorities.”
“The ‘One China’ principle is a fundamental norm of international relations and the universal consensus of the international community,” Lin said, referring to Beijing’s stance that both sides of the Taiwan Strait are part of a single country.
Taiwan’s Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim welcomed Peña’s stance, describing the partnership as “principled” and long-standing. Diplomatic relations between Paraguay and Taiwan were first established in 1957.
Beijing continues to claim Taiwan as part of its territory, a position rejected by Taipei’s government.
ℹ️ Reuters
Follow on social media TikTok@tut0ughInstagram@tut0ugh Threads@tut0ugh X@tut0ugh YouTube@tut0ugh
tut0ugh 