China sanctions Paraguay, Belize ministers over Taiwan ties
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China has stepped up pressure on Taiwan’s remaining diplomatic allies to sever ties with Taipei.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- China sanctioned Paraguay’s communications minister and Belize’s foreign minister from Oct 12 over their countries’ ties with Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory.
- The sanctions are mostly symbolic, but China said they protect national sovereignty and security. They bar entry to Hong Kong and Macau and ban Chinese groups from dealings.
- The move adds pressure on Taiwan’s 12 remaining diplomatic allies. China has recently pushed more countries to cut ties, and Nauru and Honduras did so in 2024 and 2023.
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BEIJING/TAIPEI – China placed sanctions from Oct 12 on Paraguay’s communications minister as well as the foreign minister of Belize, over their countries’ ties with Taiwan, saying they were “pawns” who have smeared Beijing, drawing a strong riposte from Taipei.
Paraguay and Belize are two of just 12 countries to maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. China says Taiwan is one of its provinces with no right to the trappings of a state, a view Taipei’s government strongly rejects.
The sanctions are largely symbolic, given that ministers from Taiwan’s diplomatic allies generally never travel to China. Such sanctions have previously mainly been applied to Western politicians for their support of democratically governed Taiwan.
Paraguay’s Minister of Information and Communication Technologies Gustavo Villate told local media on Oct 12 that the move was “to be expected”, given the projects Paraguay and Taiwan are pursuing together, including a data centre.
“We are very calm. We will continue working on all the projects we have, and we will push this even more strongly,” Villate said.
Belize’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside regular office hours.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry condemned the move, saying China had no right to interfere in its diplomatic relations. The sanctions constitute a “blatant interference in the sovereignty and foreign policies of other nations,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry cited national sovereignty and security as reasons for the measures, saying some Belizean and Paraguayan politicians have been “anti-China” in pushing for their nations to maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
The measures include barring visas for entry to Hong Kong and Macau, and a prohibition on Chinese organisations and individuals engaging in transactions, cooperation or other activities, the ministry said in two notices.
Belizean Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca met his Taiwanese counterpart, Lin Chia-lung, in Belize in September. In June, Paraguayan Minister of Information and Communication Technologies Gustavo Villate met Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi in Paraguay.
‘Pawns’
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the politicians were “willing to serve as pawns” for Taiwan. “They have seriously interfered in China’s internal affairs, spread false information about Chinese cyberattacks and attacked and smeared China, causing a bad international impact,” she said, without elaborating.
The remaining countries with ties to Taiwan should not be “repeatedly manipulated by Taiwan independence separatist forces”, she added. “Doing so has no future, (it) will only cause them to miss development opportunities.”
Shortly before the Chinese announcement, the Belize Embassy in Taiwan posted on its Facebook page a message celebrating the Oct 11 anniversary of the 37th year since the two sides established ties. “Together, we look forward to a future of growth, opportunity, and lasting friendship,” the embassy wrote.
China has stepped up pressure on Taiwan’s remaining diplomatic allies to sever ties with Taipei. The last country to do so was the tiny Pacific Islands nation of Nauru in 2024, and the previous year, Honduras ended its decades-long ties with Taiwan. REUTERS