Paraguayan lawmaker urges govt to 'stand on the right side of history'

A Paraguayan lawmaker has called on the Latin American country to establish diplomatic ties with China after leading a delegation to the nation, saying Paraguay should "stand on the right side of history".

Carlos Pereira, a member of Paraguay's Chamber of Deputies, made the remark in an address to Congress on Tuesday following his recent visit to China.

Paraguay's imports from Zhejiang province exceeded $500 million in 2024, Pereira said.

He said that despite the absence of diplomatic relations between Paraguay and China, the Latin American country's imports from China exceeded $5.1 billion last year — accounting for 37 percent of its total import volume.

The delegation, which made the China trip at the invitation of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, visited Beijing, Zhejiang province and Chongqing municipality, China Media Group reported.

Among the Chinese officials who met with the visiting delegation were Zhou Pingjian, the institute's vice-president, and Zhang Run, director of the Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs of China's Foreign Ministry, according to Pereira.

During the visit, the delegation saw a "happy and hardworking" country that ensures its citizens' access to basic public services, Pereira said, adding the visit has helped dispel many myths.

Pereira said he believes the Paraguayan people are inclined to see their country establish diplomatic relations with China at some point in the future.

In October, Paraguayan First Vice-President of the Chamber of Deputies Hugo Meza also called for a "serious debate" over establishing diplomatic relations with China, according to reports.

"In recent years, we have heard time and again the strong call of people from various sectors in Paraguay to develop relations with China," China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said earlier this month, citing a poll in Paraguay about establishing diplomatic relations with China.

"China's reunification is unstoppable. Maintaining so-called 'diplomatic relations' with the Taiwan authorities does not serve the fundamental and long-term interests of Paraguay and its people, and also goes against the prevailing consensus of the international community on upholding the one-China principle," Guo stressed.

Paraguay, a landlocked country in South America, is among the few countries in the world that maintain so-called "diplomatic relations" with China's Taiwan region.

wangqingyun@chinadaily.com.cn