【Epoch Times Report on July 10, 2025】
Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joseph Lin, led a delegation of business representatives to visit the Republic of Paraguay to celebrate the 68th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Paraguay. During the visit, they will meet with Paraguayan President Benítez and Foreign Minister Ramírez to deepen economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
The Bureau of Foreign Trade of Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs announced on the 5th that the Economic Cooperation Agreement (ECA) No. 8 between Taiwan and Paraguay has officially come into effect. Taiwan has agreed to reduce tariffs to zero on 17 products imported from Paraguay, including frozen boneless pork, processed or preserved beef offal, wheat flour, industrial alcohol, textiles, as well as lower the tariff on rice and dried fruits to 10%, and gradually decrease the tariff on natural honey to 20% over three years.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan stated in a press release that Minister Lin, along with the business delegation, visited Paraguay on the 9th. During the visit, they are scheduled to meet with Paraguay’s President Benítez, Foreign Minister Ramirez, and other officials. They will co-host the “Celebration of the 68th Anniversary of Taiwan-Paraguay Diplomatic Relations” with Foreign Minister Ramirez to highlight the strong and sincere friendship between the two countries.
Since assuming the position, Minister Lin has been actively promoting “comprehensive diplomacy” to integrate Taiwan with the world, deepen international connections based on democratic values (value diplomacy), strengthen regional peace and security through bilateral and multilateral cooperation (alliance diplomacy), and position Taiwan as an “economic powerhouse” through economic and trade diplomacy. Under the framework of comprehensive diplomacy, he has been advocating the “Prosperous Nation Plan,” exporting Taiwan’s successful industry and expertise to help allied nations prosper.
To witness the achievements of the Prosperous Nation Plan firsthand, Minister Lin will inspect the implementation of projects such as the “Taiwan-Paraguay Smart Technology Park,” “Taiwan-Paraguay Technological University,” “Electric Bus Pilot Program,” and “Enhancement of Healthcare Information Management Efficiency.” He will discuss integrating Taiwan’s technological advantages to drive the development of Paraguay’s technology industry, elevating Taiwan’s “value diplomacy” to “value-added diplomacy” and showcasing the collaborative success of “Taiwan can help, and Paraguay can lead” to the global stage.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan stated it aims to expand industrial cooperation with Paraguay and develop the “Taiwan-Paraguay Smart Technology Park” into a demonstration site for Taiwan’s digital application services. Minister Lin, accompanied by representatives from industries with collaboration potential like semiconductors, information and communication technology, smart transportation, smart agriculture, construction, and high-tech functional fabrics, will visit Paraguay to facilitate global industrial layout for Taiwanese businesses. Additionally, they aim to strengthen economic and trade exchanges and supply chain connections between Taiwan and Paraguay, further deepening the mutually beneficial partnership in economic and trade between the two countries.