TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Deputy Legislative Speaker Chiang Chi-chen (江啟臣) met with Paraguay President Santiago Pena on Wednesday.

The president said Paraguay and Taiwan face similar circumstances and various challenges, according to the Legislative Yuan. He emphasized that the relationship between the two countries is built on shared values, including freedom and democracy.

He noted the complementary nature of the two countries’ economies and industries and said he hopes Taiwanese businesses will recognize Paraguay’s advantages by investing more. Pena also briefly shared Paraguay’s history and foreign policy with Chiang.

Chiang thanked Pena for supporting Taiwan on the international stage and said Taiwan would continue to encourage mutually beneficial bilateral economic cooperation. He also invited Pena to visit Taiwan again.

The two later visited the Taiwan–Paraguay Polytechnic University to tour the campus. Chiang commended the educational cooperation between Taiwan and Paraguay.

He said teaching is the best way to share knowledge and values, and that campuses serve as spaces for fostering exchange and friendship. He added that he hopes even more Paraguayan students will study in Taiwan in the future.

Chiang also visited the Center for Tropical Infectious Diseases to observe the joint Healthcare Information System project, which aims to improve hospital efficiency in resource management. The deputy speaker praised the project as a model of cooperation that is “both warm and uniquely Taiwanese.”

Taiwan’s medical strengths should be shared more widely to help advance the universal value of healthcare as a human right, he said.