2023-02-22
Paraguayan Overseas Taiwanese Community Delegation Pays Visit to DPP Chairman William Lai
The leaders of the Paraguayan overseas Taiwanese community paid a joint visit today (Febuary 22) to DPP Chairman William Lai (Lai Ching-te) and expressed their support for Chairman Lai to represent the DPP in the 2024 presidential election. The group also discussed the delegation's active role in organizing the William Lai Overseas South American Support Group upon their return to Paraguay.
The Paraguayan overseas Taiwanese leaders delegation arrived at the DPP Headquarters this afternoon to pay a visit to Chairman Lai. The delegation includes Chiang Chao-Hsuan(江昭萱), Senior Adviser of the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) and Director of the DPP Paraguay Chapter; Liu Hsiu-chu(劉秀珠), Senior Adviser of the OCAC, Senior Overseas Adviser of the Hakka Affairs Council, and President of the Paraguay Association of Tsai Ing-wen’s Friends; Chiang Shun-Chang (江順昌), Chairman of the Paraguay-Taiwan Association and Senior Adviser of the OCAC; Wang Te-Yu (王德裕), former chairman of the Paraguay-Taiwan Association; Hung Chen-Sheng(洪振盛), Senior Adviser of the OCAC. In addition to Chairman Lai, DPP Deputy Secretary-General Yang Yi-Shan, Director of Department of Hakka Affairs Chiang Chieh-an, and Director of Department of International Affairs Hsieh Peifen also received the visitors.
Chairman Lai was present to give a warm welcome to the Paraguayan Overseas Taiwanese delegation. Chairman Lai also stated that he accompanied President Tsai Ing-wen to receive Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Bénitez and his wife during their visit in mid-February, and that he was deeply impressed by the fact that despite having a population of only 7 million, Paraguay produces enough food for 60 million people, and that Paraguay runs on 100% hydroelectric power. As for the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Paraguayan President publicly condemned Russia; furthermore, when Venezuela established diplomatic relations with China, Paraguay announced that it was severing relations with Venezuela, admirably standing by its morals and virtues in the face of powerful opposition.
Chairman Lai and the leaders of the Paraguayan delegation also discussed Taiwan’s current political and economic situation, and exchanged views on the development of overseas Taiwanese Communities and the international situation. Liu Hsiu-chu (劉秀珠), President of the Paraguay Association of Tsai Ing-wen’s Friends—and a Hakka from Hsinwu, Taoyuan—expressed great concern over the loss of Hakka votes from the Taoyuan-HsinChu-Miaoli region in the election at the end of 2022. Liu further raised several suggestions for winning Hakka support, and encouraged Chairman Lai to continue engaging at the grassroots level, and to further interact with Hakka people.
The Paraguayan overseas Taiwanese leaders voiced their anxiety over Taiwan’s current situation, and expressed their hope that the DPP would pick up the pace to respond to the people’s expectations, including their hope that those who support Taiwan will unite.
Furthermore, the leaders were positive that Chairman Lai’s upstanding image and strong qualifications make him the ideal candidate for the future head of state, and said that South American overseas Taiwanese communities will all unite behind Chairman Lai as the DPP’s candidate in the 2024 election. Lastly, upon returning to Paraguay, the Paraguayan delegation’s leaders will appeal to overseas Taiwanese to organize a William Lai South American Support Group, allowing the hopes and aspirations of the Taiwanese diaspora to be heard around the world.