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.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
Shih Hsin University President Chen Ching-he (陳清河) yesterday issued a public apology for comments made in his commencement speech last week, stating that he has asked the school to suspend his duties and halt his wages for two months as a show of contrition. At the commencement ceremony on May 30, Chen said, “If you don’t manage your time well, or your own emotions, or your health, then I am telling every one of you — put a quick end to ‘you,’ because the world has no need for ‘you.’” The comments have sparked significant controversy online, and Chen through an open
RSS