Paraguay is on the fence with Taiwan

Taiwan insists its diplomatic relations with Paraguay are secure. That probably means they are shaky, and Paraguay is "weighing offers" in the dollar diplomacy that marks the constant battle between Beijing and Taipei for allies.

Only 23 nations around the world, you may recall, recognize Taiwan in its perpetual tussle with mainland China, which has diplomatic relations with 170 countries. Taiwan’s allies are concentrated in the Caribbean, the South Pacific, Africa and Central America. In Europe, for instance, only the Vatican recognizes Taiwan.

In South America, Paraguay is Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally.

That means when Paraguay wavers, it’s big news in Taipei.

Paraguay’s new president, former priest Fernando Lugo, who came to office Aug. 15, said in a weekend television interview that Asuncion would no longer back Taiwan’s bid to join the United Nations.

That prompted Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesman Henry Chen to say: “President Lugo has said several times that Paraguay-Taiwan ties are solid, so Taiwan-Paraguay ties will not change because of a change in Paraguay's support for Taiwan's U.N. bid.”

Lugo, a leftist, is already on record saying he wants closer relations with Beijing.

Comments

[PaZhuLian]

This is definitely awesome news for Chinese, surpassed only, perhaps, by the appointment of her Excellency Leryn Franco as Ambassador to China.

[Junhui]

@PaZhuLian
Don't forget brother that the Taiwanese are also our brothers. They are Chinese whether they admit it or not. Like Shakespeare play said, "What's in a name?" Taiwanese as to Chinese as Cantonese is to Chinese.

We shouldn't seek reunification by intimidation or them forfeiting for the lack of support. We should seek reunification at the will of the people, not just the mainland but manly those who reside in Taiwan.

This is horrible that both sides have to throw out money to gain support. In the end, the winner is those which we seek to woo, not the Mainland or Taiwan. They laugh at our bickering.

[A B]

Don't these people harbor Nazis, and basically is as desirable as a steak to a practicing Hindu?

[Ding]

Who cares about Paraguay?

If Taiwan will send me some cold hard cash, I can increase the number of countries that recognize them by 2 just like that!

Just recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia!

[PaZhuLian]

One more thought.

A former catholic bishop turned politician seeks closer ties with Beijing over Taipei? Ummm. What’s wrong with this picture? Is he getting words from someone besides voters in Paraguay? This could spell even more troubles for Taiwan’s beleaguered diplomats, who are probably tossing and turning every night now for the other shoe to drop.

So it would be all the more important for the fence-sitting el presidente Lugo to send arguably Paraguay’s most recognizable FIGURE as a goodwill envoy so she can help further alleviate the throbbing TENSIONS across the Strait.

Who knows? Asunción could very well emerge a triumphant winner with the red-blooded brothers on both sides of the Strait, as they lay down their respective variants of American or Soviet style assault rifles and proudly raise their own Chinese model JAVELINS.

[Elena]

Sounds to me that Paraquay is aiming to get some of the development money China is showering upon poorer countries around the globe.

[Pffefer]

This is stupid. What does mainland China gain by winning over Paraguay? What does Taiwan/ROC lose by losing Paraguay? Taiwan/ROC is still not under the jurisdiction of mainland China, with or without recognition from Paraguay. At the same time Taiwan/ROC is not slipping away, with or without recognition from Paraguay. A lot of money that could have been used in China now will be wasted, meaninglessly.

[Junhui]

In a recent interview, Ma Ying Jeou (Ma Yingjiu), stated that he wanted to put in end to dollar diplomacy, which has perhaps been the most logical sounding statement coming from that island in a long time.

If you have to pay someone to be your friend are they really your friends? I don't see a point in dollar diplomacy. They are taking hard-earned tax money to find a temporary solution to a long term problem.

Both sides need to stop giving foreign countries money and use that money to further increase domestic living standards. None of those countries who are able to be bought are worthy of being friends.

I hope both sides end dollar diplomacy which is of obvious benefit to the Chinese people on both sides of the strait. Like I said before, the only winners in dollar diplomacy are the nations that benefit from our bickering.

One word describing the whole situation "ben".