Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joseph Wu, led a delegation of business groups to visit Paraguay, a friendly nation. During a meeting with President Mario Abdo Benítez, President Benítez reaffirmed the strong bond between Paraguay and Taiwan, expressing Paraguay’s unwavering commitment to stand with Taiwan against external pressures and threats, and to move forward hand in hand with Taiwan.
Minister Joseph Wu of the Republic of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on Facebook that on the third day of their visit to Paraguay, they visited the “Taiwan-Paraguay Smart Technology Park” in Alto Paraná province. After inspecting the pilot project, he had a meeting with President Benítez, who emphasized the strong friendship between Taiwan and Paraguay, stating that Paraguay is not afraid of external threats or pressures and looks forward to learning from Taiwan’s model to promote mutual growth between the two countries.
Minister Joseph Wu recalled his time as the Secretary-General of the Presidential Office in 2023, accompanying President Lai Ching-te, who was then Vice President, as a special envoy to attend President Benítez’s inauguration ceremony. At that time, President Benítez mentioned Taiwan as the first country in his speech, highlighting the close and friendly relations between the two countries.
He also explained to President Benítez that this visit to Paraguay specifically inspected four key cooperation projects: the Taiwan-Paraguay University of Technology, aiming to develop it into a leading institution in South America, followed by the Taiwan-Paraguay Smart Technology Park, electric buses and smart transportation systems, as well as the Healthcare Information Management Efficiency Enhancement Plan 2.0, with the goal of deepening cooperation and improving the well-being of the people.
During their visit, Minister Joseph Wu led a delegation of business representatives to Paraguay to explore the investment environment and sent an AI technology exploration team to understand the potential for AI development locally. Taiwan is willing to share its successful experiences and collaborate with Paraguay to create prosperity.
Following the bilateral meeting, President Benítez specially held an investment promotion meeting and personally took photos with the entrepreneurs visiting Paraguay, demonstrating his appreciation for the delegation.
President Benítez stated in his speech, “Taiwan and Paraguay share common values and face similar historical and geographical challenges. Despite being relatively weaker compared to neighboring countries, it is precisely these difficult circumstances that make us more resilient and competitive. Safeguarding Taiwan is safeguarding Paraguay.”
President Benítez welcomed Taiwanese companies to invest in Paraguay, not only because of their diplomatic relations but also because Paraguay is one of the fastest-growing countries in the South American region economically, and the government is committed to investing more resources in attracting business and capital.
Minister Joseph Wu expressed his sincere gratitude to President Benítez for his long-standing support for Taiwan and emphasized that despite the geographical distance between Taiwan and Paraguay, they are true friends with aligned values. He believes that through deepening cooperation and substantial exchanges, Taiwan and Paraguay can stride towards a shared and prosperous future.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China stated that Taiwan and Paraguay enjoy a strong friendship and will continue to deepen cooperation in various sectors such as education, technology, energy, agriculture, public health, and infrastructure, aiming to share progress and prosperity.