China sanctions Paraguay and Belize ministers over Taiwan ties
Beijing froze the assets of Gustavo Villate and Francis Fonseca in China and barred them from entering, two days after Taiwan's National Day. Taipei condemned the measures.
China sanctioned two ministers from countries that recognize Taiwan on Monday: Gustavo Villate, Paraguay's minister of information technology and communication, and Francis Fonseca, foreign minister of Belize, Mexico's neighbor to the south. According to Al Jazeera, the measures took effect the same day.
Beijing froze any assets the two hold in China and bars Chinese companies, organizations and citizens from any transaction or cooperation with them. Reuters, in a report carried by ThePrint, refers to visas denied for Hong Kong and Macao. Taiwan's CNA agency, by contrast, says they will not be able to enter China. The sources differ on the scope.
Mao Ning, spokeswoman for China's foreign ministry, said both ministers are ready to "serve as pawns" for Taiwan. She accused them of interfering in China's internal affairs and spreading false information about Chinese cyberattacks, without giving details. The statement also does not explain why Beijing picked these two officials.
Taipei has 12 formal diplomatic allies worldwide, and Paraguay and Belize are among them. Beijing acted on Oct. 12, after Taiwan's national holiday on the 10th.
Taiwan's foreign ministry condemned the sanctions, according to Focus Taiwan, calling them an attempt at "political intimidation and transnational repression." Villate replied that it was "expected." He added that his government will continue the projects it shares with the island, such as a data center. For Reuters the effect is mostly symbolic: officials from Taiwan's allies almost never travel to China.
Belize's government had not responded to Reuters' requests for comment as of this writing.
