Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

Vice President Lai Ching-te is scheduled to lead a delegation from August 12 to 18 to attend the inauguration of incoming President Santiago Peña Palacios of the Republic of Paraguay, a diplomatic ally of Taiwan. On the morning of August 2, the Office of the President held a press conference to outline the itinerary for the trip. At the press conference, it was stated that President Tsai Ing-wen hopes Vice President Lai, acting as her special envoy, and his delegation will convey the sincere congratulations of the people and government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the Republic of Paraguay, and achieve its two core goals of deepening the official Taiwan-Paraguay relations and expanding bilateral cooperation.

At the press conference, Presidential Office Spokesperson Olivia Lin (林聿禪) stated that the Republic of Paraguay is an important diplomatic ally of Taiwan in Latin America, and that our two countries maintain close and friendly relations. This year marks the 66th anniversary of official diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Paraguay. Current Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benítez and president-elect Peña visited Taiwan earlier this year in February and July, respectively. While here, the spokesperson said, they demonstrated their great friendship toward Taiwan and were welcomed with great esteem by the people of Taiwan.

Spokesperson Lin noted that Paraguay has on many occasions spoken up for Taiwan at international forums and firmly supports Taiwan's international participation, adding that exchanges between our governments and peoples are flourishing, while we also enjoy longstanding cooperation in such fields as science and technology, trade and economic affairs, healthcare, education, and agriculture. The spokesperson noted that while President Abdo has been in office, bilateral cooperative projects have yielded excellent results. On this auspicious occasion, President Tsai has decided to dispatch a delegation led by Vice President Lai as special envoy to attend President Peña's inauguration on August 15 to offer our congratulations and demonstrate how much we value this important diplomatic ally.

Spokesperson Lin said that President Tsai hopes the delegation will achieve its two core goals of deepening the official Taiwan-Paraguay relations and expanding bilateral cooperation, and that it will convey the sincere congratulations of the people and government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the Republic of Paraguay.

Spokesperson Lin emphasized that the president looks forward to Taiwan and Paraguay building on our excellent bilateral relationship to achieve still deeper ties, so that our two countries can stand together on the frontlines of democracy and freedom while contributing to global peace and stability. She also said that the president hopes our two countries can further improve the well-being of our peoples by continuing to strengthen bilateral cooperation. 

Following Spokesperson Lin's remarks, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Tah-ray Yui (俞大㵢) presented the delegation's itinerary. Vice Minister Yui noted that Vice President Lai's delegation is scheduled to depart from Taiwan on the afternoon of Saturday, August 12, arrive that same day in New York for a transit stop, leave New York on the evening of August 13, arrive in Paraguay on the morning of August 14, attend the inauguration of President Peña on August 15, leave Paraguay on the morning of August 16, arrive in San Francisco that same afternoon for a transit stop, leave San Francisco on the morning of August 17, and arrive back in Taiwan early on the morning of Friday, August 18 for a total of seven days.

Vice Minister Yui stated that Vice President Lai, in his capacity as President Tsai's special envoy, will attend the presidential inauguration, meet with current President Abdo and president-elect Peña, respectively, attend a state banquet, and enjoy performances in celebration of the president's inauguration and the 486th anniversary of the founding of Paraguay's capital city Asunción. The vice minister mentioned that the inauguration will afford the vice president opportunities for casual interactions with important political figures from Paraguay and other countries, and that during this visit the vice president will also attend gatherings held by our overseas community in Paraguay and nearby countries.

Vice Minister Yui stated that the 50 members of the delegation will include Secretary-General to the President Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and Deputy Secretary-General to the President Alex Huang (黃重諺), as well as staff members and the traveling press corps.

Vice Minister Yui also mentioned that Paraguay's incumbent President Abdo and President-elect Peña visited Taiwan in February and July, respectively, and that during their time in Taiwan, they both used social media to post details and impressions of their visits, showing a passion for Taiwan; and they also made numerous statements affirming our staunch friendship. All of this generated an enthusiastic response from people in both countries, the vice minister said, and goes to show that we have achieved much together and that our high-level officials enjoy close friendship.

Vice Minister Yui emphasized that Vice President Lai's visit to Paraguay as the president's special envoy representing the people and government of Taiwan to congratulate staunch supporter of Taiwan and newly elected President Peña has great significance, and expressed hope that both countries will continue to prosper together. The vice minister stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) will continue its concerted efforts in collaboration with the relevant government agencies and the Paraguayan government to carefully plan the itinerary and coordinate the relevant details so as to ensure all preparation work goes well.

In response to a question from the media regarding a rumor that Vice President Lai originally planned to transit in Washington, DC during this trip, started by deputy representative at the Kuomintang liaison office in the United States, Victor Chin (秦日新), Vice Minister Yui explained that in coordinating with US authorities about transit stops for this trip, from the very beginning our government never discussed Washington, DC or Arlington, Virginia, and that this rumor is false. Deputy Secretary-General Huang also addressed the issue, stating that Taiwan is a democratic country with a fundamental tenet that while political parties compete domestically, they stand together in external engagement. He said he hopes this rumor did not emerge from the purported source, and that it would be very regrettable if it did.

The media also posed a question about China's threatening statements regarding the vice president's US itinerary, to which Vice Minister Yui responded by stating that visits to allies and transit stops in the US by high-level officials are conducted based on the principles of safety, comfort, convenience, and dignity. Trips have been planned like this for years, he said, and should not be used as a pretext for creating tension with other parties or deepening conflict. He added that Vice President Lai made a transit stop in the US last January and that a few days ago, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken explained that a vice president from Taiwan has already transited through the US 10 times, and this will be the 11th.  

Responding to a media question about whether the US authorities required that the vice president's itinerary during his transit stops in the US be kept confidential because he is a presidential candidate, Vice Minister Yui reiterated that on this trip, the vice president is transiting through the US to visit Paraguay as the president's special envoy and attend the presidential inauguration ceremony of an ally. He also stated that MOFA consistently upholds the four principles of safety, comfort, convenience, and dignity in handling transit stops for our high-level officials. 

In response to a media question about whether, aside from American Institute in Taiwan personnel, the vice president will meet with other high-level administrative officials and about a joint letter to US Vice President Kamala Harris sent by members of Congress, Vice Minister Yui said that the delegation's itinerary during its US transit stops is still being planned and will be presented at an appropriate time.  

Asked whether the so-called "walk into the White House" statement has caused any trouble for US authorities, Deputy Secretary-General Huang replied that MOFA and government authorities have previously explained this issue. He said it should be clear to see that Taiwan and the US have engaged closely over the past few years and have continued to deepen bilateral relations. As to the statement in question, he stated that both sides have discussed it with clarity and mutual understanding, and that there was no so-called "misunderstanding" as alleged by external sources.