Paraguay's Presidential Election Puts Taiwan's Ties at Risk.

Taiwan expressed confusion over Paraguay's opposition presidential candidate, Efrain Alegre, questioning the benefits of maintaining diplomatic relations with Taipei. Alegre has criticised Paraguay's 60-year-old diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which have made it difficult to sell soy and beef to China, and has said that Paraguay does not benefit enough from its Taiwan ties. Paraguay is one of only 13 countries to maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and China has been stepping up efforts to win over the island's remaining allies.