Paraguay, Taiwan reaffirm ties after China sought to lure away another Taipei ally

Paraguays President Santiago Pena said on Friday that his country deeply values its ties with Taiwan, in a show of solidarity with the island democracy, a day after Beijing asked the South American nation to sever diplomatic relations with Taipei.

Paraguay's President Santiago Pena said on Friday that his country deeply values its ties with Taiwan, in a show of solidarity with the island democracy, a day after Beijing asked the South American nation to sever diplomatic relations with Taipei. Paraguay is the only country in South America to recognise Taiwan and one of just 12 worldwide. Beijing considers Taiwan its own territory and has ramped up a campaign over the past few years to lure Taiwan's diplomatic allies, in addition to increasing military pressure around the island. At a military honours event, Pena said the ceremony symbolises the unwavering determination between both sides to continuously deepen their ties and partnership, according to an interpreter. He said based on the foundation of shared values such as democracy, freedom and human rights, it will continue to support Taiwan and promote a bilateral strategic partnership. ''Paraguay highly values the relationship,'' the interpreter quoted him as saying outside the Taiwan presidential office. Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te thanked his counterpart and Paraguay's government for speaking out for Taiwan and firmly supporting Taiwan's international participation. ''I believe the friendship between Taiwan and Paraguay will further deepen and their cooperation will become closer through the visit of President Pena,'' Lai said. The reaffirmation of ties came after Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian on Thursday urged Paraguayan authorities to ''come to the right side of history as soon as possible'' and sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. He said the one-China principle is a basic norm in international relations, and 183 countries have formed diplomatic relations with China. On Friday, Lin made similar comments at a press briefing in Beijing, again urging Paraguayan authorities to sever ties with Taiwan. In their bilateral meeting at the presidential office on Friday, Pena said his country solemnly called on the international community to recognise that the people of Taiwan should have the right to make their own decisions based on the principles of democracy and fairness. ''I want to stress that excluding Taiwan from the important United Nations system is not only unfair, but also undermines the legitimacy of the United Nations as the most representative organisation of democratic countries in the world,'' he said. Lai and Pena presided over the signing of bilateral agreements, including one memorandum of understanding about the artificial intelligence computing centre investment. In an interview with Taiwan's Central News Agency, Pena said he met Honduran President Nasry Asfura on the sidelines of an event before arriving Thursday for the four-day trip. While Pena said they did not directly discuss whether Honduras would reestablish ties with the island, he told Asfura that his nation had a great relationship with Taiwan, the report said. Honduras established diplomatic ties with China in 2023 after breaking off relations with Taiwan. Asfura, who was elected president with the backing of US President Donald Trump, has ordered a review of agreements between Tegucigalpa and Beijing. This has fueled expectations that Honduras will distance itself from China, in line with a Trump administration campaign to reduce Chinese influence and economic clout in Latin America. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin said cooperation between China and Honduras is not directed against any third party and should not be interfered with. Last week, Lai visited Eswatini, Taipei's last remaining diplomatic partner in Africa, after being forced to postpone the trip when several countries withdrew permission for him to fly over their territories, reportedly over Chinese pressure. China neither confirmed nor denied the allegations but instead expressed ''high appreciation'' for the countries' adherence to the so-called ''one China principle,'' referring to Beijing's claims over Taiwan. China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949, when the Communist Party rose to power in Beijing following a civil war. Defeated Nationalist Party forces fled to Taiwan, which later transitioned from martial law to a multiparty democracy.