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.
US President Donald Trump yesterday announced sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" on US trading partners, including a 32 percent tax on goods from Taiwan that is set to take effect on Wednesday. At a Rose Garden event, Trump declared a 10 percent baseline tax on imports from all countries, with the White House saying it would take effect on Saturday. Countries with larger trade surpluses with the US would face higher duties beginning on Wednesday, including Taiwan (32 percent), China (34 percent), Japan (24 percent), South Korea (25 percent), Vietnam (46 percent) and Thailand (36 percent). Canada and Mexico, the two largest US trading
AIR SUPPORT: The Ministry of National Defense thanked the US for the delivery, adding that it was an indicator of the White House’s commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) and Representative to the US Alexander Yui on Friday attended a delivery ceremony for the first of Taiwan’s long-awaited 66 F-16C/D Block 70 jets at a Lockheed Martin Corp factory in Greenville, South Carolina. “We are so proud to be the global home of the F-16 and to support Taiwan’s air defense capabilities,” US Representative William Timmons wrote on X, alongside a photograph of Taiwanese and US officials at the event. The F-16C/D Block 70 jets Taiwan ordered have the same capabilities as aircraft that had been upgraded to F-16Vs. The batch of Lockheed Martin
GRIDLOCK: The National Fire Agency’s Special Search and Rescue team is on standby to travel to the countries to help out with the rescue effort A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand yesterday, killing at least three people in Bangkok and burying dozens when a high-rise building under construction collapsed. Footage shared on social media from Myanmar’s second-largest city showed widespread destruction, raising fears that many were trapped under the rubble or killed. The magnitude 7.7 earthquake, with an epicenter near Mandalay in Myanmar, struck at midday and was followed by a strong magnitude 6.4 aftershock. The extent of death, injury and destruction — especially in Myanmar, which is embroiled in a civil war and where information is tightly controlled at the best of times —
China's military today said it began joint army, navy and rocket force exercises around Taiwan to "serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence," calling President William Lai (賴清德) a "parasite." The exercises come after Lai called Beijing a "foreign hostile force" last month. More than 10 Chinese military ships approached close to Taiwan's 24 nautical mile (44.4km) contiguous zone this morning and Taiwan sent its own warships to respond, two senior Taiwanese officials said. Taiwan has not yet detected any live fire by the Chinese military so far, one of the officials said. The drills took place after US Secretary
RSS