PANAMA-TRANSPORT-CANAL-TRANSIT
Panamanian Congressman Jhonathan Vega called on Taiwan to establish a trade and economic office in Panama, believing that this would help promote bilateral trade, create jobs, and deepen informal exchanges.

A new cooperation proposal has emerged amid unofficial exchanges between Taiwan and Panama, a Central American country. Panamanian lawmaker Jhonathan Vega told CNA in a recent interview that he hopes Taiwan will establish an economic and trade office in Panama to strengthen bilateral business ties, create jobs and expand cooperation into additional fields.
CNA reported on Nov. 8 that Vega spoke during an interview held on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), held in The Hague, the Netherlands, from Nov. 5 to 6. He said a Taiwan economic and trade office in Panama would help establish a more stable channel of communication and promote trade and bilateral exchanges.
Vega specifically highlighted the Panama Canal’s strategic importance to global trade. In addition to serving as a major shipping route, he said, the canal could also provide a platform for exchanges and cooperation among countries. He added that Panama could draw lessons from Taiwan’s development in technology and semiconductors.
Panama severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 2017 and established diplomatic relations with China. CNA noted, however, that visits to Taiwan by Panamanian lawmakers have increased in recent years. A delegation of Panamanian lawmakers visited Taiwan in November 2025, while lawmakers also visited in February and July 2026, bringing the total to three visits within about a year.
In addition, Panama’s National Assembly formed a cross-party Taiwan friendship group in September this year. The group has 50 members, a majority of the 71-seat legislature, and aims to promote exchanges with Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan.
Asked whether the two sides could establish reciprocal representative offices, Vega said the decision falls under the authority of the executive branch. He also said Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino had previously expressed reservations about the idea, but that circumstances could still change in the future.
Vega stressed that Panama is a democracy and that its lawmakers can independently decide on overseas visits. He added that Panama should learn more about Taiwan’s achievements in democratic governance, technological development and the semiconductor industry.
The proposal reflects Taiwan’s efforts to expand its international ties through parliamentary diplomacy, economic and trade exchanges, and people-to-people interaction beyond formal diplomatic relations. Whether an office will be established, however, will depend on the position of Panama’s executive branch and subsequent negotiations between the two sides.