Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

On the morning of May 9, President Lai Ching-te, accompanied by President Santiago Peña Palacios of the Republic of Paraguay, visited the Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP) Bureau of the National Science and Technology Council and National Center for High-performance Computing (NCHC) Cloud Computing Center in Tainan. In remarks, President Lai stated that Taiwan will share its experience in technological development, park governance, and industrial upgrading with Paraguay, making the deep friendship between the two countries an important force in driving prosperity in the lives of both peoples.

A translation of President Lai's remarks follows:

Yesterday, I met with President Peña at the Presidential Office and mentioned that Taiwan would work hand in hand with Paraguay to engage with the world together. With today's visit to the STSP, we are putting that promise into practice. 

The STSP is an important base for Taiwan's technology industry and a key hub for the development of the semiconductor and AI industries. Taiwan will share its experience in technological development, park governance, and industrial upgrading with Paraguay, making the deep friendship between the two countries an important force in driving prosperity in the lives of our peoples.

As a former mayor of Tainan, I warmly welcome President Peña, government officials, and all distinguished guests to Tainan and wish them a fruitful and successful visit.

President Peña then delivered remarks, saying he is deeply honored to represent the Paraguayan delegation. He thanked the Taiwanese government for arranging the visit, providing the delegation with the opportunity to witness firsthand Taiwan's achievements in high-tech and semiconductors. He said that forty years ago Taiwan sowed the seeds of technological development, which have now blossomed, making Taiwan a leading nation in the global high-tech and semiconductor industries.

President Peña stated that even though Taiwan and Paraguay are 19,000 kilometers apart and have different languages and cultures, the two countries share a common vision for development. He noted that Paraguay possesses abundant natural resources and significant capacity for production of raw materials. At the same time, he said, Paraguay understands that to achieve its goal of long-term national prosperity and development, it must establish a strong presence in academia, innovation, and the high-tech industry. Thus, he stated, Paraguay is actively promoting the development of its high-tech industries and aiming to become an important strategic partner for Taiwan. 

President Peña said that the visit is very inspiring and that it provides a deeper understanding of how Taiwan integrates the efforts of government, industry, and academia to jointly promote the development of high-tech industries. He further added that these experiences will be an important reference for Paraguay in formulating its own science and technology policies.

After remarks, President Lai and President Peña heard a briefing from the STSP Bureau. Accompanied by Tsai Hung-yin (蔡宏營), president of the National Institutes of Applied Research, they also heard a briefing by Chang Chau-lyan (張朝亮), director general of the NCHC, on Taiwan's vision for the development of computing power. The visit also included a trip to the NCHC Cloud Computing Center.

Also in attendance were Paraguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, Minister of Industry and Commerce Marco Riquelme, Chief of Staff of the Presidency Francisco Javier Giménez, and Ambassador Darío Filártiga Ruiz Díaz.