By Liz Lee
BEIJING, Oct 12 (Reuters) - China on Monday placed sanctions on Paraguay’s communications minister and the foreign minister of Belize over their countries’ ties with Taiwan, saying they were “pawns” who have smeared and attacked Beijing.
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 organisations 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.
‘PAWNS’
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the politicians were “willing to serve as pawns” for Taiwan.
“They have seriously interfered in China’s internal affairs, spread false information about Chinese cyberattacks and attacked and smeared China, causing a bad international impact,” she added, without elaborating.
The remaining countries with ties to Taiwan should not be “repeatedly manipulated by Taiwan independence separatist forces,” she added.
“Doing so has no future, (it) will only cause them to miss development opportunities.”
Shortly before the Chinese announcement, the Belize embassy in Taiwan posted on its Facebook page a message celebrating the October 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 decades-long ties with Taiwan.
(Reporting by Liz Lee; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Stephen Coates and Lincoln Feast)
