President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of May 25 with Republic of Paraguay Minister of Defense Bernardino Soto Estigarribia. In addition to extending a warm welcome to General Soto, the president also expressed hope that the two countries will further deepen cooperation in a variety of areas.
In remarks, the president stated that General Soto has made significant efforts to strengthen Paraguay's national defense and promote military exchanges between the ROC and Paraguay since he became minister of defense in August 2013. The president noted that of the ROC's 22 official allies, Paraguay is the largest by area and the furthest away. Nonetheless, the friendship between the two countries has not been impacted by geographic factors, and Paraguay has consistently been one of the ROC's staunchest allies since diplomatic relations were established 58 years ago. Paraguay has long provided resolute support to the ROC and has been a loyal friend, he said.
The president recalled that two years ago he led a delegation to Paraguay to extend his congratulations to President Horacio Cartes on his inauguration, and during which time he was invited to visit the Universidad Nacional de Asuncion where he received an honorary doctorate degree. The president said that the friendliness and hospitality of Paraguay's people made a deep impression on him. In addition, Paraguay in 2013 and 2014 spoke on behalf of the ROC at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, supporting ROC's participation in international organizations. In an address at the UN last year, Paraguay's Permanent Representative to the UN, Jose Antonio Dos Santos, emphasized that Paraguay has taken note of and values the participation and contributions by the ROC at specialized agencies of the United Nations. Furthermore, President Cartes in October last year attended the ROC's Double Tenth National Day festivities and made a state visit. All of these point to the stable alliance and close interaction between the two countries, said President Ma.
Commenting on cross-strait relations, the president noted that the ROC government has consistently sought, under the framework of the ROC Constitution, to maintain the status quo of "no unification, no independence, and no use of force" in the Taiwan Strait, and to promote the peaceful development of cross-strait ties under the "1992 Consensus," whereby each side acknowledges the existence of "one China" but maintains its own interpretation of what that means. Even though cross-strait relations are presently more stable than at any time in the past 66 years since the two sides came under separate rule, the ROC still needs to address the 10% annual growth in mainland China's military budget, and the fact that the mainland has not changed the deployment of its forces facing Taiwan. In light of these factors, the ROC military still needs to embrace the principle of "avoiding war without fearing it, and preparing for war without seeking it," and should continue to hone its fighting abilities in order fulfill its mission to safeguard the nation, he said.
The president also mentioned that since becoming minister of defense, General Soto has actively promoted military service system and organizational reforms, aiming to transform the Paraguayan military into a top-notch and modernized contingent. This concords well with the volunteer military system that the ROC is promoting, he said. The volunteer system, the president explained, doesn't require as much manpower as the conscription system, but needs to attract outstanding youth who are willing to make careers in the military, thereby further bolstering the quality of the armed forces. In addition, a volunteer system has the advantages of enhancing the military's combat abilities, rationalizing manpower use, and reducing costs to society, which the president said is beneficial to the ROC's national security and the long-term development of the nation's political and economic sectors.
The president stressed that the ROC wants not only to enhance its defense forces, but also to play the roles of peacemaker and provider of humanitarian aid in the international community. Anywhere in the world, when a major disaster strikes, the ROC's military forces allocate large amounts of manpower and resources to help rescue efforts, including the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, Typhoon Haiyan that ravaged parts of the Philippines in 2013, and earthquakes that shook Nepal in April this year. The president specifically noted that Paraguay experienced severe flooding last year, and that the ROC government immediately donated US$100,000 in humanitarian relief to assist Paraguay in constructing temporary shelters, hoping to allow the disaster victims to resume their normal lives as quickly as possible.
The president said that the ROC and Paraguay cooperate in promoting projects that will improve the economic welfare of citizens, including the Floriculture Project, the Aquaculture Project, and the Pacu Fingerling Breeding and Cultivation Project. The results of these projects have not only forged close cooperation and closer interaction between the private sectors of the two countries in the agriculture industry, but have also boosted mutual friendship. The ROC has also responded to President Cartes' National Program of Poverty Reduction, introduced in 2013, by jointly promoting a project to build 4,500 homes in 39 communities throughout 16 Paraguayan provinces. All of the communities will be outfitted with running water and electricity supply systems; schools, community centers, health clinics, and parks will also be built to ensure quality of life, the president said.
The president then discussed interaction in defense education, pointing out that starting in 2000, the ROC has provided scholarships to youth and military personnel from Paraguay to study in Taiwan. To date, 82 military officers from Paraguay have completed training here and three military school officials are currently receiving warfare academy and command and staff education at the National Defense University here. This type of interaction not only cultivates military diplomacy personnel, but also creates a bridge for communication in military affairs between the two countries. Looking ahead, the president hopes that the two nations will continue to cooperate in national defense policy and private sector interaction in the pursuit of the greatest wellbeing for both peoples.