Paraguayan President-elect Santiago Pena pledged Wednesday that his country will stand by Taiwan in the course of his upcoming five-year term, as he met with the island's leader in Taipei to mark 66 years of diplomatic relations.
Paraguay is the only nation in South America and one of 13 countries around the globe to maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Pena, who won the April 30 presidential election, will take office on Aug. 15.
Pena told the island's President Tsai Ing-wen the Paraguayan people are firmly committed to "stand with the people of Taiwan" for the next five years. Communist-led China considers the self-governed democratic territory as its own and opposes official contact between Taiwan and other countries.
Welcoming Pena, Tsai said she looks forward to Taiwan and Paraguay standing together for democracy and freedom, while contributing to global peace, stability and development. His visit shows that bilateral partnership "will enter a new chapter," she added.
The 44-year-old former finance minister defeated his rival candidate Efrain Alegre, who had indicated he would cut ties with Taiwan and establish diplomatic relations with China, a potential market for Paraguay's beef and soybeans.
Asked about Pena's Taiwan trip, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Monday that there is only one China in the world and Beijing is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.
"We believe (the) relevant country will recognize the trend of the world sooner or later and make the right decision consistent with the trend of history," Mao said.
