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Minister Lin Chia-lung Leads Delegation to Paraguay to Celebrate 68th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations

Minister Lin Chia-lung Leads Delegation to Paraguay to Celebrate 68th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations

Exterior view of Taiwan's embassy in Paraguay. Photograph courtesy of Reuters. On July 9, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung led a delegation of business representatives to Paraguay. During this visit, he is scheduled to meet with Paraguayan President Santiago Peña and Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez, among other officials, and co-host a reception to celebrate the 68th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Paraguay.

Since taking office over a year ago, Minister Lin has already visited three allied countries in the South Pacific, five in Central America and the Caribbean, and one in Africa, leaving only the Vatican and Paraguay unvisited. President Lai Ching-te visited Paraguay as Vice President in August 2023 to attend Peña’s inauguration and celebrate the 66th anniversary of diplomatic ties, during which Peña mentioned Taiwan twice in his inaugural address.

Minister Lin stated that he is actively promoting “comprehensive diplomacy” to connect Taiwan with the world, utilizing “value diplomacy” to deepen international ties through democratic values, “alliance diplomacy” to enhance regional peace and security through bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and “economic diplomacy” to position Taiwan as an “economic powerhouse,” facilitating the global industrial layout of Taiwanese businesses and strengthening economic exchanges and supply chain connections with Paraguay to bolster a mutually beneficial partnership in trade.

Under the framework of “comprehensive diplomacy,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also implementing the “Friendship Program,” sharing Taiwan's accumulated experience and technologies in sectors such as semiconductor technology, healthcare, and education to build a more resilient development foundation together with allied nations. Minister Lin’s visit to Paraguay will further evaluate how to promote the introduction of more Taiwanese technological capabilities, advancing from “value diplomacy” to “value-added diplomacy” to inject new development momentum into friendly nations.

In addition to formal meetings, Minister Lin will also inspect key cooperative projects between Taiwan and Paraguay, gaining first-hand understanding of the specific outcomes. These projects include the Taiwan-Paraguay Smart Technology Park, the Taiwan-Paraguay University of Technology, electric bus pilot projects, and healthcare information management enhancement programs, with the Smart Technology Park being developed as a model area for Taiwan's digital application services.

To strengthen economic exchanges between Taiwan and Paraguay, Minister Lin also invited Taiwanese business representatives to join the delegation, representing sectors including semiconductors, information and communication technology, smart transportation, smart agriculture, construction, and high-tech functional fabrics, aiming to explore potential cooperation opportunities for the Smart Technology Park and establish Paraguay as a base for Taiwanese companies in the Southern Common Market.