China sanctions Paraguay and Belize officials over ties with Taiwan

On Monday, Beijing imposed sanctions on two foreign ministers from Paraguay and Belize, accusing them of supporting Taiwan. The ministers, Gustavo Villate from Paraguay and Francis Fonseca from Belize, were sanctioned for their involvement in recent deals with Taipei. The Chinese foreign ministry froze the ministers' assets in China, barred Chinese entities and individuals from transacting with them, and denied them entry to mainland China, including Hong Kong and Macau.

The sanctions were imposed under China's anti-foreign sanction law, with the aim of safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and opposing separatist activities. China regards Taiwan as part of its territory and will not hesitate to use force to reunify the two if necessary. Taiwan, on the other hand, is recognized by the United States and most other countries as an independent state.

Belize and Paraguay are among the 12 countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Taiwan recently signed a bilateral agreement with Belize to improve diplomatic training, and plans to invest $200 million in a data center in Paraguay by the end of 2027. The sanctions were announced shortly after Taiwan's leader, William Lai Ching-te, delivered his annual address, which was seen as inciting cross-strait confrontation and undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.