TAIPEI — Taiwan has welcomed the launch of a new Taiwan Friendship Group in Panama’s National Assembly, marking a notable expansion of parliamentary ties between Taipei and Panama despite the two sides having no formal diplomatic relations.
Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung congratulated Panamanian lawmakers after the new group was formally launched Tuesday, describing the initiative as an opportunity to deepen exchanges and cooperation between the two sides.
The group brings together 45 of Panama’s 71 national legislators, giving it broad representation within the country’s legislature. Among its prominent members are National Assembly President Shirley Castaneda, First Vice President Manuel Cohen, Second Vice President Manuel Cheng and Foreign Relations Commission President Joan Guevara.
Lin addressed the group’s founding meeting through a prerecorded message. According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he said Taiwan and Panama share commitments to human rights, democracy and freedom, and expressed hope that the new parliamentary platform would help strengthen relations.
A significant development after the 2017 diplomatic split
The announcement carries particular weight because Panama ended its diplomatic relationship with Taiwan in 2017, choosing instead to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.
That means the new friendship group should not be interpreted as a restoration of diplomatic ties. Rather, it represents a form of parliamentary diplomacy, allowing legislators to maintain and expand political, economic and people-to-people exchanges even without formal government-to-government relations.
Taiwan’s government has increasingly relied on parliamentary and unofficial channels to broaden international engagement as Beijing continues to oppose Taiwan’s participation in many international organizations.
Panama lawmakers have stepped up engagement with Taiwan
The new group follows a series of increasingly visible exchanges between Panamanian lawmakers and Taiwan.
In July, a bipartisan delegation from Panama visited Taiwan and met with Legislative Yuan Speaker Han Kuo-yu. During that visit, Panamanian lawmaker Medin Jimenez Pitti said lawmakers hoped to establish a Taiwan friendship group in Panama’s legislature. The delegation also highlighted potential opportunities involving Panama’s Canal and Colon Free Trade Zone, particularly in investment and economic cooperation.
Taiwan said that at least 20 members of Panama’s National Assembly had visited Taiwan during the six months leading up to the September announcement, underscoring the increase in parliamentary contacts.
The visits have also focused on Taiwan’s semiconductor and technology industries. Earlier in 2026, another Panamanian legislative delegation visited Taiwan to learn about its democratic institutions, economy and high-tech sectors.
Trade and the Panama Canal add strategic weight
Beyond politics, Taiwan and Panama retain important commercial connections.
The Panama Canal remains a major shipping route for Taiwan-linked trade, giving Panama continuing economic significance for Taiwanese businesses even after the 2017 diplomatic break.
During the July parliamentary visit, Han also pointed to agricultural trade, noting that Panama supplies a substantial share of Taiwan’s white-shrimp imports. He argued that existing economic links could provide a foundation for expanding cooperation in trade, technology and industry.
Panama is balancing multiple international relationships
The development also comes against a complicated geopolitical backdrop.
Panama has maintained relations with Beijing since 2017 and Panamanian lawmakers have continued engaging with China. In May, seven members of Panama’s National Assembly traveled to China as part of a parliamentary friendship group. The visit came amid tensions involving Panamanian-flagged vessels and questions surrounding China’s influence in the region.
At the same time, Taiwan has continued cultivating relationships with political figures and lawmakers in countries that do not formally recognize Taipei.
That makes the new Taiwan Friendship Group significant: it demonstrates that the absence of diplomatic recognition does not necessarily eliminate political or economic engagement with Taiwan.
What this means for Taiwan
For Taipei, the development offers another avenue for maintaining international visibility in Latin America.
The 45-member group represents a substantial portion of Panama’s legislature and provides Taiwan with a larger network of lawmakers with whom it can discuss trade, technology, investment and international participation.
Still, the move should be viewed carefully. There is no indication that Panama is preparing to restore diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and the creation of a parliamentary friendship group does not change Panama’s official diplomatic relationship with Beijing.
Instead, the immediate significance lies in the growth of legislative diplomacy—a channel Taiwan increasingly uses to maintain connections abroad despite its limited number of formal diplomatic allies.
The bigger question now is whether the new Panama National Assembly group can turn its political support into concrete cooperation in trade, technology, investment and international affairs.
And with 45 of Panama’s 71 legislators now part of the group, Taipei clearly has a much larger parliamentary audience to work with.
WWC ONE MEDIA G.A
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