He said the forum in Asunción sought to create a pluralistic space to discuss the need for a foreign policy aligned with the country's democratic values.
Bolivian Sen. Centa Rek shared her country's experience signing agreements with Chinese firms, which she described as harmful and lacking in transparency.
She cited a road project in Yamparáez, Sucre, as an example of poor-quality infrastructure built by a Chinese contractor.
"We need to ensure our neighbors don't repeat our mistakes," Rek said.
In Peru, the coastal city of Marcona has seen a surge in Chinese investment. Retired Adm. Carlos Gamarra, a Peruvian expert on defense and geopolitics, pointed to the area as a cautionary tale of weakened state control over foreign ventures.
"Local communities can't build housing or public infrastructure because large parts of the land are owned by Chinese companies," Gamarra said.
He called for stricter environmental regulations, greater oversight and clearer rules to safeguard national autonomy.
Paraguay is one of the few South American countries that maintains full diplomatic relations with Taiwan -- a position that experts say gives it strategic leverage that should it should not give up lightly.
"Paraguay must use its sovereignty to build strategic partnerships beyond China," said Gustavo Nakamura, director of the Center for Public Policy Innovation in Peru, during the event that also featured Taiwan's ambassador to Paraguay, José Chih-Cheng Han, and former Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno.
