President Lai: Opening Paraguay Poultry Imports to Deepen Bilateral Economic and Trade Cooperation
President Lai Ching-te announced during a bilateral meeting with Paraguayan President Santiago Peña that Taiwan will officially open imports of Paraguayan poultry, aiming to further deepen bilateral economic and trade cooperation. The two nations also signed MOUs on criminal justice, cybersecurity, and AI computing power investment.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 8, 2026 at 15:58
- 🔍 Collected: May 8, 2026 at 16:32 (33 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 8, 2026 at 17:42 (1h 10m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Wen Kuei-hsiang, Taipei, 8th) President Lai Ching-te held a bilateral meeting with Paraguayan President Santiago Peña and announced that Taiwan will officially open imports of Paraguayan poultry, hoping to further deepen bilateral economic and trade cooperation. President Peña condemned China's military exercises around Taiwan, economic pressure, and interference with President Lai's planned visits to allies, reiterating Taiwan's right to free interaction with other countries and that it should not be subjected to any undue interference aimed at isolating Taiwan.
After a grand military ceremony to welcome Paraguayan President Santiago Peña Palacios (also translated as Benia) this morning, President Lai, accompanied by Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, held a bilateral meeting with President Peña at the Presidential Office and witnessed the signing of the "Taiwan-Paraguay Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Criminal Matters," the "Taiwan-Paraguay Cybersecurity Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding," and the "Taiwan-Paraguay Sovereign AI Computing Power Center Investment Project Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding."
President Lai stated in his address that the more than six decades of diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Paraguay are precious. In particular, both countries have experienced similar democratic transitions, deeply understanding that a life of freedom and dignity is not obtained out of thin air, but must be continuously practiced, safeguarded, and deepened.
President Lai pointed out that since President Peña took office, he has proposed a diplomatic framework for Paraguay, which has been widely recognized internationally and achieved considerable results. Under this diplomatic framework, Taiwan and Paraguay not only jointly safeguard democratic and free values but also continuously open new chapters of cooperation in various fields such as smart healthcare, industrial transformation, and women's empowerment.
President Lai said that last year, Taiwan was Paraguay's third-largest export market for beef, and Paraguayan beef was Taiwan's second-largest imported beef. Taiwan is also Paraguay's largest export market for pork, and exchanges between the two are becoming increasingly active.
The President also announced that after continuous efforts by both countries, Taiwan will officially open imports of Paraguayan poultry, providing the public with more choices of high-quality meat products and further deepening the economic and trade relations between Taiwan and Paraguay.
The President stated that the areas of cooperation between the two countries reflect the common challenges faced by Taiwan and Paraguay. Especially with the current continuous expansion of authoritarianism, both countries are indispensable members of the "global democratic value chain" and should continue to strengthen cooperation and move forward hand in hand. He looks forward to the two countries using "democracy, peace, and prosperity" as a path to connect with the world and jointly make more contributions to the globe.
President Peña stated in his address that the Paraguayan government has always firmly supported Taiwan's participation in the international multilateral system, based on democratic and fair principles that fully reflect the true dynamics of the current global situation. Therefore, Paraguay solemnly calls on the international community to recognize the right of the Taiwanese people to self-determination. Excluding Taiwan from important platforms or systems such as the United Nations is not only unjust but also weakens the legitimacy of these organizations as multilateral organizations representing democratic nations worldwide.
President Peña pointed out that based on this position, the Paraguayan government once again condemned the People's Republic of China's military exercises around Taiwan and Beijing's increasing economic pressure. In particular, Paraguay opposes China's economic coercion to force the cancellation of voyages, thereby interfering with President Lai's planned visits to allies.
He reiterated that Taiwan has the right to free interaction with other countries and should not be subjected to any undue interference aimed at isolating Taiwan.
He stated that Taiwan has firmly established itself as one of Paraguay's main export markets for pork and beef, and he also thanked President Lai for officially announcing the export of poultry products to Taiwan, looking forward to continuous expansion and diversification of bilateral trade.
He reiterated that Paraguay will continue to be committed to deepening this strategic partnership based on shared values of democracy, freedom, and human rights. At the same time, with the utmost sincerity and determination, it will continue to promote sustainable bilateral relations and cooperation, create tangible benefits, and improve the quality of life for the people of both countries.
After the bilateral meeting between the two heads of state, they jointly witnessed the signing of the "Taiwan-Paraguay Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Criminal Matters," strengthening cooperation in combating transnational crime; the "Taiwan-Paraguay Cybersecurity Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding," jointly building capabilities to resist cyber hacker attacks; and the "Taiwan-Paraguay Sovereign AI Computing Power Center Investment Project Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding," gradually implementing the concept of combining Taiwan's AI technology with Paraguay's abundant green electricity to jointly transform electricity into critical computing power for a smart nation. (Edited by Su Chih-tsung) 2026/05/08
Stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.
(Central News Agency reporter Wen Kuei-hsiang, Taipei, 8th) President Lai Ching-te held a bilateral meeting with Paraguayan President Santiago Peña and announced that Taiwan will officially open imports of Paraguayan poultry, hoping to further deepen bilateral economic and trade cooperation. President Peña condemned China's military exercises around Taiwan, economic pressure, and interference with President Lai's planned visits to allies, reiterating Taiwan's right to free interaction with other countries and that it should not be subjected to any undue interference aimed at isolating Taiwan.
After a grand military ceremony to welcome Paraguayan President Santiago Peña Palacios (also translated as Benia) this morning, President Lai, accompanied by Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, held a bilateral meeting with President Peña at the Presidential Office and witnessed the signing of the "Taiwan-Paraguay Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Criminal Matters," the "Taiwan-Paraguay Cybersecurity Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding," and the "Taiwan-Paraguay Sovereign AI Computing Power Center Investment Project Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding."
President Lai stated in his address that the more than six decades of diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Paraguay are precious. In particular, both countries have experienced similar democratic transitions, deeply understanding that a life of freedom and dignity is not obtained out of thin air, but must be continuously practiced, safeguarded, and deepened.
President Lai pointed out that since President Peña took office, he has proposed a diplomatic framework for Paraguay, which has been widely recognized internationally and achieved considerable results. Under this diplomatic framework, Taiwan and Paraguay not only jointly safeguard democratic and free values but also continuously open new chapters of cooperation in various fields such as smart healthcare, industrial transformation, and women's empowerment.
President Lai said that last year, Taiwan was Paraguay's third-largest export market for beef, and Paraguayan beef was Taiwan's second-largest imported beef. Taiwan is also Paraguay's largest export market for pork, and exchanges between the two are becoming increasingly active.
The President also announced that after continuous efforts by both countries, Taiwan will officially open imports of Paraguayan poultry, providing the public with more choices of high-quality meat products and further deepening the economic and trade relations between Taiwan and Paraguay.
The President stated that the areas of cooperation between the two countries reflect the common challenges faced by Taiwan and Paraguay. Especially with the current continuous expansion of authoritarianism, both countries are indispensable members of the "global democratic value chain" and should continue to strengthen cooperation and move forward hand in hand. He looks forward to the two countries using "democracy, peace, and prosperity" as a path to connect with the world and jointly make more contributions to the globe.
President Peña stated in his address that the Paraguayan government has always firmly supported Taiwan's participation in the international multilateral system, based on democratic and fair principles that fully reflect the true dynamics of the current global situation. Therefore, Paraguay solemnly calls on the international community to recognize the right of the Taiwanese people to self-determination. Excluding Taiwan from important platforms or systems such as the United Nations is not only unjust but also weakens the legitimacy of these organizations as multilateral organizations representing democratic nations worldwide.
President Peña pointed out that based on this position, the Paraguayan government once again condemned the People's Republic of China's military exercises around Taiwan and Beijing's increasing economic pressure. In particular, Paraguay opposes China's economic coercion to force the cancellation of voyages, thereby interfering with President Lai's planned visits to allies.
He reiterated that Taiwan has the right to free interaction with other countries and should not be subjected to any undue interference aimed at isolating Taiwan.
He stated that Taiwan has firmly established itself as one of Paraguay's main export markets for pork and beef, and he also thanked President Lai for officially announcing the export of poultry products to Taiwan, looking forward to continuous expansion and diversification of bilateral trade.
He reiterated that Paraguay will continue to be committed to deepening this strategic partnership based on shared values of democracy, freedom, and human rights. At the same time, with the utmost sincerity and determination, it will continue to promote sustainable bilateral relations and cooperation, create tangible benefits, and improve the quality of life for the people of both countries.
After the bilateral meeting between the two heads of state, they jointly witnessed the signing of the "Taiwan-Paraguay Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Criminal Matters," strengthening cooperation in combating transnational crime; the "Taiwan-Paraguay Cybersecurity Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding," jointly building capabilities to resist cyber hacker attacks; and the "Taiwan-Paraguay Sovereign AI Computing Power Center Investment Project Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding," gradually implementing the concept of combining Taiwan's AI technology with Paraguay's abundant green electricity to jointly transform electricity into critical computing power for a smart nation. (Edited by Su Chih-tsung) 2026/05/08
Stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.