Island doubts: Tsai Ing wen is throwing coins again?, Paraguay's Elected President Goes to Taiwan | Paraguay | Tsai Ing wen

Paraguayan President elect Panya led several important future cabinet members to visit Taiwan on the 11th, stating that in the next five years of his presidency, he will strengthen the relationship between Paraguay and Taiwan.

Doubts within the island:

Can Tsai Ing wen scatter coins again?

Jie Wenji said in the program "Lu Xiufang Hot Evening News" on the 11th, "in fact, the president of Paraguay came to Taiwan before he took office. I think his domestic affairs are in a state of waste. If he returns empty-handed on this trip to Taiwan, in fact, the problem is big".

Jie Wenji said, "The last president of Paraguay publicly asked Taiwan for a loan of more than one billion US dollars more than a year ago. There is an example. This will become now. If he comes, will he have to make a new promise?"

Jiewen Ji Data Chart

Jie Wenji even said, "Because Taiwan now feels very willing to spend money, isn't it strange that he came here to see old friends?"

In the end, Jiewen Ji believes that "if we had to come all this hard, Tsai Ing wen must have a clear idea in her mind, which is, 'Will you have new needs? How much do you need?' I think based on our past experience dealing with these countries, Tsai Ing wen needs to be prepared to face new needs.".

PLA activities around the Taiwan Strait

Taiwanese media: Targeting Taiwanese military exercises and people visiting Taiwan

According to Taiwanese media reports, the Taiwan Defense Administration announced today that a large number of PLA aircraft and warships have been conducting joint sea and air training outside the so-called "emergency zone" in the southwest and southeast of Taiwan for two consecutive days. The department has repeatedly stated that the Taiwanese military should "closely monitor and deal with it.".

The Taiwanese military stated that in the past two days, a large number of PLA aircraft and warships have conducted joint sea and air training outside the Taiwan "emergency zone".

Spokesperson Sun Fangfang of the Taiwan Defense Administration announced today that since 7:00 pm today, the Taiwan military has successively discovered 30 types of PLA J-10, J-16, H-6, Y-8 long-range aircraft, carrier based helicopters, and drones, among which 23 have crossed the so-called "median line of the Taiwan Strait" and its extension lines, entered the southwest and southeast "airspace", cooperated with long-distance ships, and conducted sea air joint training outside the so-called "emergency zone" in southeastern Taiwan. In addition, four secondary warships cooperate in carrying out joint combat readiness patrols.

According to the interpretation of Taiwan media, Taiwan's defense department announced on the 11th the time of Taiwan's "Hanguang exercise" and "Wanan exercise", as well as the visit of the president-elect of Paraguay to Taiwan, so the PLA made this move.

Regarding the People's Liberation Army military aircraft cruising Taiwan Island, the mainland has previously made it clear that it is the sacred duty of the Chinese People's Liberation Army to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and safeguard the common interests of the people on both sides of the strait. The People's Liberation Army is not just talking about curbing "Taiwan independence" separatism and opposing foreign interference.

As for the so-called "middle line of the Taiwan Straits", the Taiwan Affairs Office has also clearly pointed out that the mainland and Taiwan belong to the same China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. There is no such line between the two sides.

What is he in a hurry to go to Taiwan before taking office?

According to Taiwan media reports, on the 11th, Paraguayan President-elect Santiago Peña arrived in Taiwan with his wife and daughter and a number of important future ruling cabinet members.

The Governor of Chang'an Street noticed that he, who had just won the presidential election more than two months ago, will be officially sworn in on August 15th.

Paraguay, located in central South America, is the only so-called "diplomatic country" of the Taiwan authorities in South America, and also the largest among the remaining 13 "diplomatic countries" of Taiwan.

Due to the fact that the national economy is mainly based on agriculture and animal husbandry, with a relatively simple structure and weak industrial foundation, Paraguay is also one of the most backward countries in Latin America. Its main export products are beef and soybeans, and its export structure has competitive contradictions with Brazil and Argentina. Paraguay relies heavily on the international market, but its economy has not yet recovered to the pre epidemic level due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic.

According to reports, Pennia's visit to Taiwan this time is focused on achieving economic and trade cooperation with Taiwan, seeking a "breakthrough" to solve domestic economic problems.

Trade between Taiwan and Paraguay, while hitting a record $0.196 billion in 2021, accounted for less than 1 percent of Paraguay's total trade that year.

Even without signing a free trade agreement, according to statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China, the total trade volume between China and Paraguay in 2022 was 1.979 billion US dollars, of which China's exports amounted to 1.895 billion US dollars and imports amounted to 84 million US dollars.

In sharp contrast, Brazil, located in South America, exported 54.4 million tons of soybeans to China in 2022, with a single trade amount of up to 37.3 billion US dollars.

Despite the economic downturn, Paraguay has become accustomed to reaching out to this old friend for money.

In September 2022, then-Paraguayan President Mario Avdo Benitez called on Taiwan to invest $1 billion million there, arguing that the Paraguayan people needed to "feel the real benefits".

In 2018, when Afdo first took office as president, Tsai Ing wen led a delegation to attend the inauguration ceremony and promised Paraguay many benefits, including spending $23 million to build housing.

"The President of Paraguay came to Taiwan before he took office. Domestic affairs are full of waste. If he returns empty-handed on this trip to Taiwan, the problem will be big." Jie Wenji, a former foreign affairs official in Taiwan, told the truth in an interview with Taiwan media on the 11th, "now Taiwan gives people the feeling that they are willing to spend money, so if he comes here just to see his old friends, isn't it strange?"

In fact, during the current presidential election, Paraguayan opposition candidate Alegre publicly stated that maintaining the so-called "diplomatic relations" with the Taiwan authorities made it difficult to export Paraguayan soybeans and beef to mainland China. He promised that if his opposition party wins the election, Paraguay will "sever diplomatic relations" with the Taiwan authorities and establish diplomatic relations with China.

Another presidential candidate, Kubass, has also stated that if he wins, after forming a new government, he will make announcing the establishment of diplomatic relations with China a priority for the new government.

According to Reuters, since this year, severe drought has hit Paraguay's agricultural production, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has affected beef exports to Russia, and the global economic growth has slowed significantly. Many farmers in Paraguay are also exerting pressure on the government to appeal to the authorities to seek to establish diplomatic relations with China to open up a larger beef and soybean export market.

Pedro Galli, President of the Paraguayan Rural Association, bluntly stated, "We are a food producing country, but we have not sold food to the world's largest food importing country... it's like watching others have a party on a balcony."

Regarding Penia's visit to Taiwan, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated on the 10th that there is only one China in the world, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing the whole of China. Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory. Adhering to the One China principle is the international righteousness, the aspiration of the people, and the trend of the times. We believe that the relevant countries will eventually recognize the international trend and make decisions that are in line with historical trends.