In a move that reaffirms Paraguay’s long-standing diplomatic recognition of Taiwan, Paraguayan President Santiago Peña touched down in Taipei Thursday for his inaugural visit to the self-governing island, which Beijing continues to claim as an inalienable part of its territory.
Paraguay stands as the last remaining South American nation and one of only 12 countries globally that maintains formal diplomatic ties with Taipei. Over the past several years, Beijing has waged an increasingly aggressive diplomatic campaign to poach Taiwan’s remaining diplomatic allies, and has never ruled out the use of military force to annex the island. Notably, Paraguay maintains robust bilateral trade ties with mainland China even as it continues to uphold its diplomatic commitment to Taipei.
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Peña’s visit, which runs through Sunday, includes a delegation of business leaders from key sectors such as agriculture and finance. On Friday, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te is scheduled to welcome Peña with full military honors.
This high-profile diplomatic meeting unfolds against a backdrop of intensifying pressure from Beijing on Taiwan’s democratically elected government. In recent months, Beijing has ramped up military coercion, deploying warplanes and naval vessels to areas surrounding Taiwan on an almost daily basis.
Taipei, for its part, has pushed back to preserve and expand its international space, a goal highlighted by Lai’s recent trip to Eswatini, Taiwan’s last remaining diplomatic ally in Africa. Lai’s visit was originally delayed after multiple countries denied overflight permission to Lai’s plane, a move widely attributed to diplomatic pressure from Beijing.
Beijing has neither confirmed nor denied the allegations of coercing those nations to block the trip, but has publicly expressed “high appreciation” for countries that abide by its so-called “one China principle,” which enshrines Beijing’s territorial claim to Taiwan.
The cross-Taiwan Strait split dates back to 1949, at the end of the Chinese Civil War. After the Communist Party seized control of mainland China, defeated Nationalist Party forces retreated to Taiwan. The island has since evolved from decades of martial law into a fully functioning multi-party democracy, separate from the communist political system in Beijing.