TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Paraguayan President Santiago Pena said he encouraged Honduran President Nasry Asfura to examine the partnership between Paraguay and Taiwan.
Pena held a meeting with Asfura on the sidelines of the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles earlier this week. Pena told Asfura that he would be visiting Taiwan to strengthen bilateral ties and reaffirm Paraguay’s commitment to working with Taiwan, CNA reported.
Former Honduran President Xiomara Castro severed relations with Taiwan in favor of China in 2023.
Pena said Asfura showed great interest in Paraguay’s engagement with Taiwan. He recommended that Asfura take a closer look at the efforts both countries have made in economic diversification, growth, and development, per CNA.
Pena said Paraguay’s public support for Taiwan is no secret, and that Asfura understands Paraguay is a steadfast ally of Taiwan. The president added that he speaks up for Taiwan whenever he is at the UN, according to CNA.
Pena said he had held talks with Asfura before, during which they discussed the strong relationship between Paraguay and Taiwan. The Paraguayan president arrived in Taiwan on Thursday for his first state visit to the country.
Asfura said during his election campaign last year that he would reconsider restoring diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
Honduran Vice President Maria Antonieta Mejia Sanchez said in February that restoring diplomatic relations with Taiwan would be a gradual process. “What we don’t want is to further damage the country’s economy, because if there are loans involved, the Honduran people will have to pay for them through their taxes,” the vice president said.
She said a technical team is analyzing the agreements Honduras signed with China to advise Asfura before any final decisions are made.
Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said in January that with renewed US engagement in the Western Hemisphere, Taiwan-Honduras relations could make further progress. Lin added that Taiwan has been promoting its Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project among neighboring diplomatic allies, including Belize and Guatemala, and that Honduras has taken note of those efforts.
Han Chih-cheng (韓志正), director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs, said Honduras’ white shrimp farming industry has been severely impacted since the country switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing. Small and medium-sized businesses have also been affected by the dumping of low-cost Chinese products, he said, adding that Honduras’ trade deficit with China has continued to widen since 2023.
