Taiwan and Paraguay have signed a five-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) worth US$150 million, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday.
After months of negotiations, the MOU was signed in the South American diplomatic ally’s capital, Asuncion, on Dec. 14, ministry spokesman Andrew Lee (李憲章) said.
Lee said the deal focuses on projects related to humanitarian and social aid, education, housing and infrastructure that can meet the Paraguayan government’s expectations and benefit its people.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
“Taiwanese and Paraguayan firms will enjoy priority when bidding on contracts for the projects, which have to use products from Taiwanese brands, creating a win-win situation,” Lee said.
The two nations’ intent to sign the MOU was unveiled by Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benitez, who after a state visit to Taiwan in October last year said on Twitter that Taiwan had agreed to invest US$150 million in his nation to boost economic, infrastructure and education development.
Taiwan was the first nation Abdo Benitez visited after he was inaugurated in August last year at a ceremony attended by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Lee said, adding that at the UN General Assembly in New York in September last year Paraguay spoke out for Taiwan’s bid to join the body.
After taking office, Abdo Benitez expressed the hope that in addition to an existing project to build 4,500 homes in 39 communities in 16 Paraguayan provinces, Taiwan could also assist with the promotion of education, social welfare and medical services, Lee said.
Taiwan and Paraguay in August last year jointly established the Taiwan-Paraguay Polytechnic University (Universidad Politecnica Taiwan-Paraguay) in the South American nation, with funds for construction provided by Asuncion, while teachers, curriculums and lab equipment are to be provided by the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology.
SECRET OUT: Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung yesterday accidentally revealed that the infections occurred at the ministry’s Taoyuan General Hospital The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported the fifth COVID-19 case in a cluster infection at a Taoyuan hospital, where four other medical workers were confirmed to have been infected over the past week. The latest case is a nurse who had tested negative on Tuesday last week, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, told a news conference. However, on Thursday, she developed symptoms, such as nasal congestion and a cough, and a second test yesterday found that she was infected, Chen said. She is the head nurse of a ward where two
VIGILANCE: While two of the cases are family members of a nurse, there is no sign of community spread and the source of infection is identifiable, the CECC said The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported four new domestic COVID-19 cases associated with a cluster infection at a Taoyuan hospital. Since the first case was identified on Tuesday last week, five healthcare workers — two doctors and three nurses — at the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Taoyuan General Hospital have tested positive for the virus. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that two of the four new cases are the husband and daughter of a nurse (case No. 863) who had earlier been confirmed to have COVID-19. The husband (case No. 864)
Don Quijote, the biggest discount store in Japan, is opening its first store in Taiwan today. The three-story Don Don Donki store in Taipei’s Ximending (西門町) area, which operates 24 hours a day, has already created 400 jobs, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said in a press release. Many Taiwanese, including Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊), consider a trip to Don Quijote an essential stop in Japan. “I have been to Don Quijote at least 10 times myself,” Huang said yesterday at a news conference announcing the store’s opening. “They are rendering an important service, because we cannot travel
‘CONTAINED’: The CECC is not considering locking down the hospital where the infections were detected, as their source has been found, Chen Shih-chung said The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported one new domestic COVID-19 case, a doctor at a hospital in northern Taiwan where three other medical workers were confirmed to have the disease over the past week. The new case — No. 856 — is a doctor who had treated a COVID-19 patient together with case No. 838, said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center. Case No. 838, confirmed as a locally infected COVID-19 case on Tuesday, was the first case in the hospital cluster, and later infected his partner, who is a nurse at the same