China has announced sanctions against officials from two so-called "diplomatic partners" of Taiwan—Paraguay and Belize. According to a statement on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, starting October 12, China will impose countermeasures on Víctor Villalobos, Minister of Communications and Technology of Paraguay, and Francisco Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Education, Culture, Science, and Technology of Belize. The move cites their persistent support for maintaining so-called diplomatic ties between Paraguay and Belize and Taiwan, as well as a series of adverse actions on issues involving China, which are deemed to have seriously harmed China’s core interests.
The measures include three main components: freezing all assets held by the individuals in China, prohibiting Chinese organizations and individuals from engaging in transactions or cooperation with them, and denying visas and barring entry (including Hong Kong and Macao). The targeted individuals are described as “individual politicians,” not state entities. This underscores China’s intent to precisely identify specific actors responsible for particular actions, rather than imposing blanket sanctions on entire governments. The action is carried out under the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, not through ad hoc statements or mere diplomatic protests. It signals that future economic activities, visa arrangements, and business collaborations involving these individuals within China will face direct restrictions.
It is widely known that Paraguay remains the only country in South America still maintaining so-called diplomatic relations with Taiwan; Belize is among the few remaining such partners in Central America and the Caribbean. Though these countries are small in size, their symbolic significance is considerable. Domestic polling in Paraguay indicates that nearly 90 percent of its citizens support establishing formal diplomatic ties with China. Over recent years, Paraguayan agricultural exports—including soybeans and beef—have been unable to gain direct access to the Chinese market. While Paraguayan authorities have received aid from Taiwan, they have effectively forfeited broader opportunities for economic investment and trade expansion.
This latest move by China delivers a significant setback for the DPP authorities. Should anti-China politicians in these so-called “diplomatic partners” continue to lend support to Taiwan’s “independence” agenda, their countries risk losing access to China’s market—and the officials themselves may be individually added to sanction lists. In effect, any future political figure in these nations who publicly endorses Taiwan’s position will now need to carefully weigh the consequences.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1878811796564995/
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