The Foreign Ministry has rebuffed rumors that Panama and Paraguay are planning to establish diplomatic ties with China.
The two Latin American countries are diplomatic allies of Taiwan. They are also the first countries to be visited by President Tsai Ing-wen since she took office last month.
Deputy Foreign Minister Leo Lee told the Legislature on Thursday that such rumors of a switch of recognition to Beijing are commonplace and have been for several years. He said the foreign ministry believes ties with Panama and Paraguay to be strong and stable and that he is confident there will be no change in this regard.
Establishing diplomatic relations with China invariably means severing ties with Taiwan. This is because Beijing does not permit any country to recognize both sides of the Taiwan Strait as separate nations.