Paraguayan President Santiago Pena has pledged to continue enhancing cooperation with Taiwan, as he and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed opposition to any unilateral change to the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait using force, Japanese media reported on Saturday.
Kishida yesterday completed a trip to France, Brazil and Paraguay, his first visit to South America since taking office in 2021.
After the Japanese leader and Pena spoke for more than an hour on Friday, exchanging views on the situation in East Asia in the face of China’s increasing military pressure on Taiwan, they affirmed that “unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force will not be tolerated,” the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office
Pena mentioned Taiwan during a joint news conference after their meeting.
“We have a long diplomatic relationship with Taiwan. We would like to continue to promote a wide-ranging cooperative partnership,” the Fuji News Network quoted Pena as saying.
The leaders agreed to work together to maintain and bolster a free and open international order, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
The importance of relations between Japan and Paraguay, which shares its values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law, is increasing as the international community faces a number of crises, the paper quoted Kishida as saying.
The Paraguayan president also reaffirmed robust ties with Taiwan during an interview with the Yomiuri Shimbun on Thursday, saying that the South American country’s stance on Taiwan is unwavering.
He also said that the firmer his country is on maintaining relations with Taiwan, the more pressure it receives from other countries to break those ties.
For example, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva repeatedly suggested that Asuncion establish diplomatic relations with Beijing, he said.
During Paraguay’s presidential election last year, opposition candidates called for diplomatic ties with Taiwan to be severed, he said.
Some of the strongest opposition came from the domestic agricultural sector, as despite being a major exporter of soybeans and beef, Paraguay is unable to export beef to China and has to rely on third-party countries such as Argentina to export soybeans, he said.
Paraguay’s relationships with Japan and the US should serve as a backup force to help the country withstand pressure from home and abroad to switch recognition from Taipei to Beijing, Pena said.
“Supporting Paraguay is supporting Taiwan,” he added.
He said he hopes to prove that maintaining diplomatic relations with Taiwan is in the interest of his country, which can serve as an example for other countries to follow.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old