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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 Call with Paraguay reaffirmed ties, ministry says
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu waves to reporters at an event in Taipei on Wednesday last week. Photo: CNA
By Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporter
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu （吳釗燮） on Tuesday night spoke on the telephone with Paraguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs Euclides Acevedo, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, amid speculation that China might poach Taiwan’s sole remaining ally in South America using COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy.
During the call, both men reaffirmed ties, while exchanging opinions on bilateral cooperation programs and issues related to the pandemic, the Taiwanese ministry said in a press release.
Wu expressed the government’s intention to continue working with Paraguay to combat the pandemic, while Acevedo thanked Taiwan for its medical supplies and its assistance in helping Paraguay obtain vaccines, it said.
The discussion came after a call on Sunday between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benitez.
Blinken reiterated the US’ support for Paraguayans amid the pandemic, while stressing the importance of continuing to work with democratic partners, including Taiwan, the US Department of State said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the ministry said media reports that Taiwan is planning to transfer doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to Paraguay are false.
Chinese-language online news site Up Media （上報） on Tuesday reported that the government would transfer to Paraguay 2 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine that it plans to purchase.
Washington is unnerved by China’s attempt to poach Taiwan’s ally through vaccine diplomacy, as it had used the tactic to pressure Guyana, another South American country, into reneging on its agreement to establish a Taiwan office in its capital, Georgetown, Up Media reported.
Guyana is not a formal diplomatic ally of Taiwan.
The report referenced another report published on Wednesday last week by Paraguayan newspaper Ultima Hora, which said that Asuncion would purchase 2 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from a batch of 40 million that Taiwan was to buy.
Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou （歐江安） said in a statement on Tuesday that Taiwan is helping Paraguay purchase or obtain vaccines through other channels.
The ministry could not comment on Paraguay’s vaccine negotiations, but its negotiations are not related to vaccines that Taiwan has purchased from AstraZeneca, Ou said.
Acevedo said in an interview that the country’s plan to purchase China-made vaccines would not affect its diplomatic ties with Taiwan, she said.
Taiwan and Paraguay have maintained close cooperation in many areas, and the government would continue to help diplomatic allies combat the pandemic, she said.
The Central Epidemic Command Center has said that it plans to procure 30 million vaccine doses.
Only 117,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses have arrived in Taiwan so far.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
