Taipei: Two of Taiwan's 12 formal diplomatic allies, Haiti and Paraguay, have made their return to the FIFA World Cup this year after lengthy absences and found support in Taiwan among embassy staff, expatriates, and even local government officials. The Haitian embassy held a watch party Sunday morning (Taipei time) at its embassy in Tianmu, where dozens of Haitians in Taiwan rallied behind their national team in its first World Cup match since 1974 against Scotland, a 1-0 loss.
According to Focus Taiwan, Ambassador Roudy Stanley Penn expressed that although Haiti did not win the game, the gathering was a wonderful opportunity to come together and celebrate this historic moment. "It was particularly meaningful because members of the Haitian community in Taiwan are spread across different cities and regions, making it relatively uncommon for everyone to meet in one place," he said. "Beyond the match itself, the event served as an occasion to strengthen community ties, share our passion for Haitian football, and express our pride in seeing Haiti compete on the football world stage for a second time," he added.
A one-minute video clip posted by the embassy on social media early Tuesday showed dozens of Haitians, led by the ambassador and his deputy, having a generally good time but groaning and holding their heads in frustration at missed opportunities. Yet just having the national team in the event seemed satisfying enough. The Haitian Embassy told CNA that it will hold similar watch parties at the embassy for the remainder of the team's World Cup campaign.
Paraguay is appearing in its first World Cup since 2010, when it reached the quarterfinals before losing to Spain. Its opener came against the United States on Saturday morning -- a game it would lose 4-1 -- creating a dilemma for Taiwanese politicians: openly support either a formal diplomatic ally or Taiwan's most important unofficial ally.
Ahead of the match, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim posted a video clip on social media with the answer. She was wearing a Paraguayan national team jersey while Raymond Greene, the top U.S. envoy to Taiwan, wore a Team USA jersey, with both ready to root for their respective teams. The Paraguayan embassy did not organize a watch party, but its staff members were excited about the event and recently released several photographs on Facebook showing employees wearing Paraguayan national team jerseys.
Even before the two matches, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung called on Taiwanese to support the two allies. "Sports connect the world and allow friendship to transcend borders," he wrote. "[I] would like to invite everybody to tune into our allies' matches this weekend and cheer for Paraguay and Haiti." The two countries are among a dozen states around the world that recognize Taiwan, officially named the Republic of China.