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President Tsai touches down in ally Paraguay
From Taiwan Today
2018-08-15
New Southbound Policy。President Tsai Ing-wen highlights the value of education and international cooperation in achieving shared prosperity during a plaque unveiling of the planned Taiwan-Paraguay Polytechnic University Aug. 14 in Asuncion. (Courtesy of Office of the President)
President Tsai Ing-wen highlights the value of education and international cooperation in achieving shared prosperity during a plaque unveiling of the planned Taiwan-Paraguay Polytechnic University Aug. 14 in Asuncion. (Courtesy of Office of the President)

President Tsai Ing-wen arrived Aug. 14 in Paraguay, South America, on the first leg of a nine-day state visit including fellow ally Belize in Central America.
 
Upon deplaning at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Luque city outside the capital Asuncion, Tsai and her delegation were welcomed by Paraguay Foreign Minister Eladio Loizaga and received a red-carpet reception.
 
After talks with Loizaga, attended by senior officials such as Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu and National Security Council Secretary-General David Tawei Lee, the president met with outgoing Paraguay President Horacio Cartes and took part in the plaque unveiling of the Taiwan-Paraguay Polytechnic University.
 
During an address delivered before enrollees in the planned institution’s first two introductory courses, Tsai said the facility represents the fruit of Taiwan-Paraguay cooperation and is a significant investment in the younger generations and attainment of shared prosperity.
 
Education is the backbone of long-term national competitiveness, Tsai said, adding that cultivation of tomorrow’s engineering and technology talents is key to unlocking the potential of a nation’s economy and achieving consistent growth.
 
The success of Taiwan’s high-tech industries is down to tertiary education and vocational training, the president said. This rock-solid foundation enables the country to remain a leader in the global marketplace and is the source of its economic clout, she added.
 
Commencing operations in March 2019, the polytechnic in Asuncion is jointly administered by Taipei City-based National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. It will initially offer programs in construction and industrial, information and mechanical engineering with each student gifted a tablet under a community involvement and philanthropy program conducted by New Taipei City-headquartered Acer Inc.
 
According to Tsai, the institution will become one of the finest of its kind in the region and an unparalleled producer of engineering talents equipped with the know-how and skills to meet the development needs of Paraguay and Latin America. This is testament to the vision of Cartes and Taiwan’s deep commitment to its allies, she said.
 
The president also announced the expansion of a locally based vocational training project carried out by Taipei-headquartered International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), the country’s foremost foreign aid organization. A total of 350 places, up from 75, will be offered in five disciplines for applicants from allies in the Caribbean and Latin America.
 
Tsai later attended briefings by members of Taiwan’s educational and technical missions on cooperation projects spanning aquaculture, Mandarin learning, medical information management and orchid cultivation. She praised the staffers and described them as playing a front-line role in advancing the nation’s foreign diplomacy.
 
These selfless labors are sincerely appreciated by the government, the president said, adding that they lie at the very heart of efforts to deepen and expand Taiwan-Paraguay ties for the mutual benefit of the people. (SFC-E)

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