China announces sanctions on Paraguay, Belize ministers over Taiwan ties
The measures against Paraguay's Communications Minister Gustavo Villate and Belize's Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca include the freezing of their property and assets in China, visa denials and the banning of organisations in China from doing business with them.
Paraguay President Santiago Pena (centre) accompanied by Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te (left) during a military welcome ceremony in Taipei, Taiwan on May 8, 2026. (File Photo: AP/Chiang Ying-ying)
12 Oct 2026 11:55AM Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST
BEIJING: China announced sanctions on Monday (Oct 12) against ministers from Paraguay and Belize over their diplomatic relations with Taiwan, the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing as its territory.
The measures against Paraguay's Communications Minister Gustavo Villate and Belize's Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca include the freezing of their property and assets in China, visa denials and the banning of organisations in China from doing business with them, Beijing's foreign ministry said.
The move comes two days after Taiwan celebrated its national day.
Villate marked the day on social media saying "Paraguay reaffirms its relationship of friendship and cooperation, based on shared values and principles: the self-determination of peoples, human rights and democracy".
Taipei has only 12 diplomatic allies after Beijing, which has vowed to claim control over Taiwan by force if necessary, systematically poaches those who support the island in a bid to isolate it.
Paraguay's President Santiago Pena, who has described Taiwan as a "fundamental partner" for the South American country, visited Taipei earlier this year, where he signed a raft of agreements on mutual legal assistance on criminal matters, cybersecurity cooperation and AI and computing investment.
Last month, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung also visited Belize, where his ministry said the two sides agreed to deepen ties.
Taiwan's other allies in the Americas are Guatemala and Haiti. It also has formal diplomatic ties with several Caribbean islands.
Related:
Decoding Japan PM Takaichi’s ‘important neighbour’ message to China - what it means for ties
Marking China's national day, Xi calls for progress towards reunification with Taiwan
Source: AFP/ia
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