Switching diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China has not brought the economic benefits some countries had hoped for, the president said.
Paraguayan President Santiago Peña said the country enjoys a “strong alliance” with diplomatic ally Taiwan, and that countries that have made diplomatic shifts toward China have not fared as well as initially hoped. Ta.
Paraguay and Taiwan established diplomatic relations in 1957.
Peña pointed to his country’s history, particularly the Paraguayan War that began in 1864, and said he understands the threat Taiwan faces from the Chinese regime’s influence.
Since the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took power in Taiwan in 2016, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has stripped Taiwan of diplomatic alliances and increased diplomatic, economic and military pressure on the autonomous island. The Chinese Communist Party considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has labeled Taiwanese President Lai Ching-de, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party, and his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen “separatists.”
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South American countries such as Argentina, Brazil, and Peru switched their diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in the 1970s.
diplomatic switch
Peña said he has spoken with leaders of South American countries that have switched their diplomacy from Taiwan to China in recent years. Peña said the leaders felt misled by the Chinese government’s false promises.
“Many of them said, ‘Five, 10 years ago, I thought if I had taken this (diplomatic) action, my country would be more developed. And the reality is that’s not the case. No. Quite the opposite,” he said.
Peña explained that the leaders believed their country could benefit from tapping into China’s huge market. Rather, he said, the diplomatic decision exposed his country to Chinese manufacturing sites that do not abide by the same labor laws, environmental standards and regulations that their own countries follow.
Currently, these countries are “underdeveloped” and “more dependent on industrial products from Asia than on their ability to create jobs at home,” Peña said.
“That’s why we decided to take a different path, to a relatively small country that has developed an industrial base that can (manufacture) high-quality products and compete with any other country in the world,” he said.
Relations between Paraguay and Taiwan
The Chinese Communist Party’s attempts to undermine relations between Paraguay and Taiwan have recently come to light. Last month, Paraguay’s foreign ministry revoked the visa of a Chinese diplomat for “interfering in its internal affairs” after making comments urging the South American country to switch its diplomatic allegiance to China.
Mr. Peña visited Taiwan in May 2024 to attend Mr. Lai’s inauguration ceremony, and the two leaders subsequently held talks.
“We talked about the ties of fraternity that bind our two countries and about continuing to work together for the well-being of our nations.”
