President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has appointed Vice President William Lai (賴清德) to lead a delegation to attend the inauguration ceremony of Paraguayan president-elect Santiago Pena next month, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Yui said yesterday.
Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benitez and Pena invited Tsai to attend the ceremony, Yui told a news conference at the Presidential Office in Taipei.
As attending the presidential inauguration of a diplomatic ally demonstrates the friendship between the two countries, Tsai appointed Lai as special envoy to deliver Taiwan’s congratulations to Pena, and has notified Abdo and Pena about the arrangement, Yui said.
Photo: CNA
Lai and the delegation are scheduled to arrive in Paraguay on Aug. 14 and attend the inauguration the next day, he said.
Lai would attend other events on behalf of Tsai, including celebrations for Asuncion’s 486th anniversary, Yui said.
Lai would meet with Abdo and Pena to exchange opinions on bilateral and international issues of common concern, he said, adding that other meetings would be arranged.
Photo: Fabian Hamacher, Reuters
Abdo visited Taiwan in February to affirm the friendship between Paraguay and Taiwan, saying that severing diplomatic relations with Taiwan would be a “historic mistake.”
Pena, during his visit to Taiwan last week, pledged his “full support” for Paraguay’s diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and “to be on the side of the people of Taiwan for the next five years,” when the next presidential election would be held.
To congratulate Pena in person on behalf of Taiwan and Taiwanese is “hugely meaningful,” Yui said.
Asked whether Lai would stop over in the US on the way to Paraguay, Yui said that it is customary for Taiwanese officials to do so while visiting South or Central America, and this time would be no exception.
In response to concerns that it might anger China, Yui said that the government had made arrangements for the vice president to make stopovers in the US 10 times, so there is no reason that his 11th trip would result in unnecessary harassment.
In other developments, visiting National Endowment for Democracy president Damon Wilson yesterday called on freedom-loving people around the world to help Taiwan safeguard democracy and freedom during a meeting with Lai.
“Our [foundation’s] commitment to Taiwan and its democracy is rock solid, and one of the most important priorities for the cause of freedom around the world today,” Wilson said, adding that this was why he had visited Taiwan more than any other place in the world during his tenure.
This is Wilson’s third visit to the nation in the past two years.
Taiwan’s hard-fought journey of democratization has earned the world’s respect, he said.
A delegation from the nonprofit foundation visited the site where the 228 Incident was triggered and the Nylon Cheng Liberty Foundation and Memorial Museum to learn more about Taiwan’s democratization process, Wilson said.
Taiwan’s compelling democracy makes freedom-loving people all over the world, including Americans, feel a sense of solidarity with Taiwan and a desire to help it defend its democracy and freedom, he said.
The foundation, a bipartisan independent organization supported by the US Congress, was founded 40 years ago, Wilson said, adding that it has a presence in more than 100 countries.
He said he enjoys working with the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and hopes the two foundations can continue to work together for another 20 years.
He also paid tribute to Tsai and thanked her for her contributions to democracy.
Lai thanked Wilson for valuing and supporting Taiwan’s democratic development.
With the help of the National Endowment for Democracy, many Taiwanese civic groups have stepped onto the global stage to show the world that Taiwan is a country “filled with democratic energy,” Lai said.
Taiwan’s achievements in democracy are the result of many people’s sacrifices and dedication, he said.
Taiwan ranked first among Asian nations in last year’s Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index and second in Asia in the Freedom in the World 2023 report published by Freedom House, he said.
The accomplishment is partly due to the efforts of Taiwanese and partly due to support from international friends such as the National Endowment for Democracy, he said.
Lai said he hoped the organization would continue supporting Taiwan and that the international community would pay more attention to the nation.
He called on other countries to work together to safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and protect freedom and democracy in democratic nations.
RESILIENCE: Taiwan plays a key role in semiconductors, energy, information infrastructure and advanced manufacturing, AIT Director Raymond Greene said Taiwan’s continued investment in deterrence and resilience remains vital, especially in uncrewed systems and other emerging technologies, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene said yesterday. Greene made the remarks at the annual National Strategic Summit on Supply Chain Resilience held by the Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET), a government-backed think tank. As Taiwan last year became the US’ fourth-largest trading partner and supply chain security is becoming more important, cooperation in emerging technologies continues to deepen between the two countries, he said. The US is committed to accelerating innovation, building key infrastructure, strengthening cooperation
The National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology yesterday showcased its locally developed variants of the Vision 60 robotic patrol dog, which it plans to deploy on the nation’s outlying territories in the South China Sea. The variants were produced under the Joint Lab project — created by the institute and domestic companies — and assembled with domestically produced motors, lenses and artificial intelligence (AI) systems alongside licensed tech from the US, Missile and Rocket Systems Research Division deputy director Jen Kuo-kang (任國光) told the media event at a military base in Taipei’s Dazhi (大直) area. Taiwan has built up its strengths
RIGHT DIRECTION: Taiwan’s efforts to prevent forced labor include a proposal to ‘fully prohibit’ employers from withholding workers’ documents, an official said Taiwan is to establish a mechanism to restrict imports of goods linked to forced labor, the Executive Yuan said yesterday, after the US proposed imposing additional tariffs on Taiwanese goods over labor concerns. “The Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Economic Affairs are to establish an interministerial review procedure,” Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said at a news briefing in Taipei. “The government is to use the Foreign Trade Act [貿易法] as the legal basis to restrict imports of goods produced with forced labor” and bring its supply chain governance more in line with international standards on human rights, resilience
NOT IMMEDIATE: Taiwan has a chance to appeal the proposed 10 percent tariff before it starts, while other countries face a 12.5 percent tariff from the trade office Taiwan is among 60 economies determined by the US to have failed to impose or enforce a ban on the importation of goods produced with forced labor, according to a notice released on Tuesday by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), which proposed imposing an additional 10 percent or more tariff on them. The USTR in a statement said that following an investigation, it had determined under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 that the failure of the 60 economies to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor is
RSS