Paraguay Defies Beijing, Strengthens ‘Principled Partnership’ With Taiwan to Guard National Security

President Santiago Peña rejected China’s demands to sever ties with Taipei, citing shared democratic values and a strategic rejection of Beijing’s coercion.

U.S. President Donald Trump (C) stands with the president of the Republic of Paraguay, Santiago Peña (3rd-L), and other officials at the start of the "Shield of the Americas" Summit at Trump National Doral in Miami on March 7, 2026. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña spoke out in favor of democratic solidarity on May 7 in Taiwan, directly challenging the expanding influence of the People’s Republic of China in the Western Hemisphere.

As Beijing issued stern demands for the South American nation to sever ties with the self-ruled island, Peña countered by doubling down on a “principled partnership” with Taipei—an alliance he framed as a vital bulwark for economic independence and regional stability.

Countering Beijing’s Diplomatic Pressure

In Beijing on May 7, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated that Paraguay should “stand on the right side of history” and “sever so-called diplomatic relations with the Taiwan authorities.”