Taiwan is making efforts to prevent Paraguay from switching diplomatic ties to China if the opposition wins a national election this month, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Yui said yesterday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded by trying to maintain good relations with all Paraguayan political parties and keeping a close watch on their policy moves, Yui said.
The remarks came during a legislative hearing in which Yui was asked by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) about a Reuters report from last week that Paraguay, Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in South America, could embrace Beijing if its opposition party wins an election on April 30 and delivers on its China policy.
Photo: AFP
US policymakers and independent analysts said that Washington’s options are limited to halt the region’s drift toward China, with some saying Taiwan appears resigned to losing more allies in the Americas, Reuters said.
Taiwan lost Honduras to Beijing late last month. It now only has 13 UN-recognized diplomatic allies worldwide.
Efrain Alegre, the leading presidential candidate of a broad coalition to defeat Paraguay’s ruling Colorado Party, told reporters in January that he would cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognize China if he wins.
Yui did not provide a direct answer when asked by Chiang about the ministry’s plans for an Alegre victory.
“It is a fact that China has obviously been wooing candidates of all camps [in Paraguay],” Yui said.
Yui said that Alegre has spoken highly of Taiwan’s cordial ties with Paraguay, and indicated he would engage in talks with Taiwan on how to deepen bilateral relations if he wins the election.
Taiwan would continue to work closely with a new Paraguayan government, no matter which candidate wins, Yui added.
Paraguayan polling data from Wednesday showed that Alegre has a slight lead in support.
Alegre had the support of 38.1 percent of voters, while Santiago Pena of the Colorado Party had 36.4 percent, Atlas Intelligence data showed.
Pena has pledged to keep intact Paraguay’s ties with Taiwan after six decades of formal diplomatic relations.
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