Tsai delivers address to Paraguayan congress

2016/06/30

President Tsai Ing-wen addressed the Paraguayan congress June 28 in the capital Asuncion, highlighting her administration’s down-to-earth diplomacy and reciprocity between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and its South American diplomatic ally. Tsai also met with Mario Abdo Benítezs, president of the Senate, before delivering the address.

“Taiwan and Paraguay enjoy more than ordinary diplomatic relations, and this two-way collaboration extends beyond business investment,” Tsai said. “Our friendship is firmly grounded on such shared universal values as democracy, freedom and respect for human rights.”

According to the president, Taiwan and Paraguay are working on a raft of collaborative projects promoting housing justice and narrowing the digital divide, among many social issues. She cited the Digital Opportunity Center initiative proposed by Taiwan in 2003 under the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation as a prime example of efforts by the ROC government in ensuring social equality.

“A number of Taiwan high-tech firms, including Acer Inc. and AsusTek Computer Inc., have pledged to provide hardware and cloud learning software to support the youth of Paraguay in joining the digital world,” Tsai said.

Concerning agricultural cooperation, the president said Taiwan will gradually increase beef imports from Paraguay provided these products meet Taiwan’s health and inspection standards. It will also continue assisting the Latin American country in upgrading feed production, medical data management, orchid cultivation and white pomfret aquaculture.

Tsai also places a premium on enhanced people-to-people exchanges. She said the government will increase the number of scholarships for Paraguay students from 14 to 28, as well as make available more local industry professionals and mandarin teachers.

In terms of economic collaboration, the president said given the complementary nature of Taiwan’s and Paraguay’s climates and industrial structures, she expects more interaction and investment between the private sectors of the two nations. This will help position Paraguay as an important base for Taiwan firms seeking to expand their footprint in the Americas, she added.

Tsai is on the second and final leg of a nine-day official visit to Latin America. She wrapped up a three-day trip to ROC diplomatic ally Panama June 28, and will depart Paraguay June 30 for Taiwan with a stopover in the U.S. city of Los Angeles. The president is scheduled to arrive July 2 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=245875&ctNode=2194&mp=9)