China sanctions Belize, Paraguay ministers over Taiwan ties

On Monday, China imposed sanctions against Belize's Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca and Paraguay's Communications Minister, in response to their countries maintaining diplomatic relations with Taiwan. These sanctions mark the first such measures against non-Western politicians for supporting Taiwan's democracy. Only 12 nations still maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory. Beijing regards Taiwan as one of its provinces and rejects the idea of an independent state.

The sanctions, largely symbolic, prevent entry visas to Hong Kong and Macau and prohibit Chinese organizations and individuals from engaging in various activities with Belize and Paraguay. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited national sovereignty and security as the basis for these measures, alleging that some Belize and Paraguay politicians are "anti-China" for their ties with Taiwan.

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry and the two ministries of the respective countries did not respond to requests for comment. Taiwan's ministry also had no immediate reaction to the sanctions. China's foreign ministry has been pressuring Taiwan's remaining diplomatic allies to sever their ties with Taipei. The most recent country to do so was Nauru in 2024, while Honduras ended its decades-long diplomatic relations with Taiwan the previous year.