China sanctions ministers from Paraguay and Belize over Taiwan ties

ASIA PACIFIC

China sanctions ministers from Paraguay and Belize over Taiwan ties

The national flags of Paraguay and Taiwan are pictured outside the building housing the Taiwanese Embassy in Asuncion, Paraguay. | REUTERS

Reuters

Oct 12, 2026

BEIJING – China ?on Monday placed sanctions on Paraguay’s communications minister and the foreign minister of Belize, over their countries’ ties with Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory.

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 ministers from Taiwan’s diplomatic allies generally don’t travel ?to China. Such sanctions have previously mainly been applied to Western politicians for their ?support of democratically governed Taiwan.

Neither Paraguay’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies nor Belize’s foreign ministry immediately responded to requests ?for comment outside of ?regular office hours. Taiwan’s foreign ministry had no immediate comment.

China’s foreign ministry cited national sovereignty and security as ?reasons for the ?measures, saying some Belize and Paraguay politicians have ?been “anti-China” in pushing for their nations to maintain diplomatic ties ?with Taiwan.

The ?measures include barring entry visas to Hong Kong and Macau, and prohibition on Chinese organizations and individuals from engaging in transactions, cooperation or other activities, the ministry said in two notices.

Belize Foreign ?Minister Francis Fonseca met his Taiwan counterpart, Lin Chia-lung, in Belize last month. In June, Paraguay Minister of Information and Communication Technologies Gustavo Villate met Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi in Paraguay.

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 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, while the previous year Honduras ended its decadeslong ties with Taiwan.