China sanctions Paraguay, Belize ministers over diplomatic ties with Taiwan

China imposed sanctions on Paraguay’s communications minister and Belize’s foreign minister on Monday over their countries’ diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.The measures include restrictions on entry into mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, as well as a ban on Chinese organisations and individuals engaging in transactions, cooperation or other activities with the sanctioned officials, China’s foreign ministry said in separate notices.Beijing cited national sovereignty and security as the reasons for the sanctions, accusing some politicians in Belize and Paraguay of being "anti-China" for advocating continued diplomatic relations with Taiwan.Paraguay and Belize are among the 12 countries that maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. China considers the self-governed island a province of its territory and opposes its recognition as a sovereign state. Taiwan’s government strongly rejects Beijing’s claim.The sanctions are largely symbolic, as officials from Taiwan’s diplomatic allies generally do not travel to China. Beijing has previously imposed similar measures on Western politicians over their support for Taiwan.Neither Paraguay’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies nor Belize’s foreign ministry immediately responded to requests for comment. Taiwan’s foreign ministry also had no immediate comment.The move follows recent diplomatic engagements between the countries and Taiwan. Belize Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca met his Taiwanese counterpart, Lin Chia-lung, in Belize last month. In June, Paraguay’s Minister of Information and Communication Technologies, Gustavo Villate, met Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi in Paraguay.China has stepped up efforts to persuade Taiwan’s remaining diplomatic partners to sever formal ties with Taipei and recognise Beijing instead.The most recent country to switch diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China was the Pacific island nation of Nauru in 2024. Honduras ended its decades-long diplomatic relationship with Taiwan in 2023.Beijing maintains that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan, which has its own democratically elected government and military, maintains that its future can be decided only by its people.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.