BTN News: Taiwan’s President William Lai has promised to make the cooperation with Guatemala stronger and to keep their friendship alive. This is important because Guatemala is one of the few countries that still have official ties with Taiwan. On Tuesday, Lai welcomed Nery Ramos, the President of Guatemala’s Congress, to the Presidential Palace in Taipei. Lai said that Taiwan and Guatemala can achieve great things together if they continue to work as a team.
Lai called Guatemala a “strong friend” and praised their shared values of freedom and democracy. He thanked the Guatemalan Congress for helping Taiwan take part in international activities. Lai hopes that with the support of President Ramos and his delegation, Taiwan and Guatemala can work together in many areas and grow their friendship.
Several Taiwanese groups visited Guatemala this year to look for ways to work together. They explored areas like textiles, coffee, seafood, and the circular economy. This is meant to build strong economic ties and create beneficial partnerships between the two countries.
Ramos, who started a five-day visit to Taiwan on Monday with other Guatemalan lawmakers and politicians, praised Taiwan for its help in education, healthcare, and building infrastructure. He confirmed Guatemala’s dedication to keeping and strengthening its friendship with Taiwan, emphasizing that this bond will last.
“Guatemala values the cooperation with Taiwan very much,” Ramos said. “The people and the government of Guatemala will always be thankful to Taiwan. The Guatemalan Congress delegation is here to show that Taiwan is always important to us and that our friendship will last forever.”
Guatemala and Taiwan’s Relationship Amidst China’s Influence
Since January, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo de León has promised to keep diplomatic ties with Taiwan while also trying to trade more with China. Arévalo did not attend Lai’s inauguration on May 20 but sent his Foreign Minister, Carlos Ramiro MartÃnez. MartÃnez had previously shown interest in opening a commercial office in China without breaking ties with Taiwan.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was not happy with MartÃnez’s visit to Taipei. They said it was a big violation of the “One China” policy, which says Taiwan is part of China. A Chinese spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, said the visit hurt China-Guatemala cooperation, including the export of Guatemalan products to China.
In recent years, Taiwan has lost many of its diplomatic partners due to pressure from China. Right now, Taiwan has official relations with only twelve countries. Seven of them are in Latin America and the Caribbean: Paraguay, Guatemala, Belize, Haiti, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Taiwan’s partnerships with these countries show its effort to keep an international presence despite China’s strong diplomatic efforts. Taiwan’s strong relationship with Guatemala shows its determination to build global friendships based on shared values and mutual benefits.
