China announces sanctions on Belize, Paraguay ministers over Taiwan ties

On Monday, China announced sanctions against ministers from Paraguay and Belize over their diplomatic ties with Taiwan, an island claimed by Beijing as its own territory. The measures, which include freezing property and assets, visa denials, and prohibiting organizations in China from doing business with the two officials, were imposed by Beijing's foreign ministry.

The sanctions follow Taiwan's national day celebrations, during which Communications Minister Gustavo Villate of Belize and Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca of Paraguay expressed their commitment to maintaining their relationship with the self-ruled island based on shared values of self-determination, human rights, and democracy.

Taiwan currently has only 12 diplomatic allies after China, which has vowed to reclaim the island by force if necessary, systematically targeted those who support Taiwan in an attempt to isolate it diplomatically. Paraguay's President Santiago Pena, who has referred to Taiwan as a "fundamental partner" for his country, visited Taipei earlier this year. During his visit, he signed agreements on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, cybersecurity cooperation, and AI and computing investment.

Recently, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung also visited Belize, where both sides agreed to deepen their ties. Other allies of Taiwan in the Americas include Guatemala and Haiti. Additionally, Taiwan maintains formal diplomatic relations with several Caribbean islands.