Paraguay’s President Endorses Taiwan’s UN Membership Bid

Summary

• Paraguay’s President Santiago Pena expressed support for Taiwan’s inclusion in the United Nations system.
• He stated that “The government of Paraguay conveys its backing for Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, to become a full-fledged member of the United Nations system”.
• Paraguay is one of the 13 countries in the world that recognizes the Republic of China (Taiwan) as the sole legitimate government of China.
• Taiwan and Paraguay negotiated a free trade agreement in 2004, which entered into effect in 2018.

President Pena expressed Paraguay’s government support for Taiwan, stating, “The government of Paraguay conveys its backing for Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, to become a full-fledged member of the United Nations system.”

During his address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday, President Santiago Pena of Paraguay announced his country’s endorsement of Taiwan’s accession to the United Nations system. This comes despite the 1971 U.N. resolution that excluded Taiwan from the organization, recognizing the People’s Republic of China as the legitimate representative of China within the U.N. framework.