Relations between Taiwan and Paraguay remain strong and both countries would continue ongoing joint projects, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday.
Ma made the remarks at a meeting with Enrique Salyn Buzarquis Caceres, speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of Taiwan’s only South American ally.
LOYALTY QUESTIONS
Paraguay forged ties with the Republic of China in 1957. Despite the long history of friendship, there were reports that Asuncion had considered switching allegiance to China when Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo, a leftist and a former bishop, was elected to office last April. In an effort to safeguard relations, Ma flew to Asuncion in August on his first foreign tour as president to attend Lugo’s inauguration.
Prior to his victory, Lugo went on the record assaying he was open to establishing relations with all countries, including China.
Last September Paraguay declined to throw its weight behind Taiwan’s annual UN bid.
“We will no longer vote [at the UN] for Taiwan despite the fact we recognize the aid the country has provided,” Lugo was quoted saying in an Associated Press report at the time.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that Lugo has been unable to visit Taiwan because of his busy schedule in dealing with domestic matters.
Ma yesterday recalled attending Lugo’s inauguration and meeting many important policy makers and said that bilateral links were expected to be further strengthened as the two nations continue their agricultural, military and economic cooperation.
PANAMA SCANDAL
In related news, a Central News Agency (CNA) report yesterday said that former Panamanian ambassador to Taiwan Jose Antonio Dominguez insisted Taiwan had not made any direct donation to the former Moscoso administration as a fund mismanagement trial continues against Ruby Moscoso, a sister of the former president Mireya Moscoso who served as the first lady.
It has been alleged that the Moscosos fraudulently used US$13.7 million of a US$45 million donation given by Taiwan in 2004 to the Mar de Sur Foundation, a state-created social welfare program. The former government officials said that the money was under the control of the foundation, not the administration.
In an interview with CNA, Panamanian Ambassador Simon Ko (柯森耀) declined to comment on the trial, saying the Taiwan government respects Panama’s judicial process and that it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the case.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or