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🇵🇾 Paraguay /Elections & Politics

Mulino again distances himself from Panama lawmakers’ latest outreach to Taiwan

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Named sources Ongoing story
  • President José Raúl Mulino said Panama’s executive branch does not endorse lawmakers’ contacts with Taiwan, stressing that foreign policy is directed by the government.
  • Panama’s National Assembly created a multipartite exchange group with Taiwan, despite the two sides lacking diplomatic relations since 2017.
  • The dispute follows earlier parliamentary visits to Taiwan and tensions involving Panama, China and the United States over the canal and regional influence.

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has once again drawn a line between his government and lawmakers reaching out to Taiwan. “I reiterate: contacts, visits and exchanges by members of the Assembly with Taiwan do not mean that the executive branch endorses them. Foreign relations are directed by the executive,” he wrote on X.

I reiterate: contacts, visits and exchanges by members of the Assembly with Taiwan do not mean that the executive branch endorses them. Foreign relations are directed by the executive

· José Raúl MulinoThe Panamanian president rejected the suggestion that lawmakers’ Taiwan contacts reflected government policy.

The statement came after the National Assembly’s Foreign Relations Commission hosted the Panama-Taiwan Legislative Yuan Multipartite Exchange Group. The group was formally created during a meeting that included Taiwanese lawmakers by video link, according to people who attended. It was described as an exchange group rather than a friendship group because Panama and Taiwan have had no diplomatic relations since 2017.

This is not the first time Mulino’s administration has rejected parliamentary contacts with the island. In January, a group of Panamanian lawmakers made a second visit to Taiwan, prompting the government to reaffirm its commitment to the “one China” policy. The first delegation visit took place in November and was the first by Panamanian officials since Panama broke diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 2017 to establish relations with China.

one China

· Panamanian governmentThe policy commitment the government reaffirmed after lawmakers visited Taiwan.

That earlier trip triggered a dispute among the executive branch, the legislature and China’s embassy in Panama. The embassy criticized the visit, while Panama called the criticism unacceptable interference. The lawmakers defended their agenda as focused on cooperation, technology and investment.

take back

· Donald TrumpThe phrase used in reported threats concerning the Panama Canal.

The controversy unfolded amid rising tensions between the United States and China, including Donald Trump’s threats to “take back” the Panama Canal over alleged Chinese interference. Beijing considers Taiwan an “inalienable part” of its territory and has not ruled out using force, while Taipei says the island’s 23 million people alone should decide its political future.

inalienable part

· BeijingChina’s description of Taiwan’s status.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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