Taiwan Condemns China Sanctions on Belize and Paraguay Ministers

Taiwan has condemned China's sanctions against the foreign minister of Belize and the communications minister of Paraguay, escalating diplomatic tensions over the two countries' formal relations with Taipei. China's Foreign Ministry announced the measures on Monday, October 12, 2026, citing national sovereignty and opposition to Taiwan's independence movement.

The sanctions target Belizean Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca and Paraguayan Communications Minister Gustavo Villate. According to China's Foreign Ministry, the measures freeze their assets and other property in China, prohibit them from entering China, Hong Kong and Macau, and bar Chinese organizations and individuals from conducting transactions or cooperating with them.

Belize and Paraguay are among the 12 countries that maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan rather than Beijing, according to Focus Taiwan. The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not provide a specific explanation for selecting the two ministers in its announcement, as reported by Focus Taiwan.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) rejected the sanctions, describing them as an attempt to pressure countries that maintain relations with Taipei. The ministry said the measures challenged the sovereignty of other nations and their right to conduct independent diplomacy.

MOFA called the sanctions "preposterous" and a "blatant interference in other countries' sovereignty and diplomacy."

The ministry also accused Beijing of pursuing political coercion beyond its borders, saying the measures exposed its approach to countries that reject its position on Taiwan.

MOFA described the action as a "futile attempt to deploy political intimidation and transnational repression to coerce other countries into submission to its political agenda," adding that such conduct would make China's intentions to undermine the international order more apparent.

The ministry further called the tactics "despicable." It said Taiwan would continue working with its diplomatic allies to expand mutually beneficial cooperation, promote shared prosperity and oppose authoritarian expansion.

China's Foreign Ministry justified the sanctions by accusing politicians in both countries of supporting continued diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Beijing characterized the targeted officials as "certain anti-China politicians" who were "driven by self-interest."

The ministry said the ministers had "taken a series of egregious actions and statements" that were "damaging China's core interests." In a separate statement reported by Focus Taiwan, Beijing referred to "anti-China politicians" who supported what it called "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry's statement described the targeted officials as "certain anti-China politicians who have stubbornly supported their respective countries in maintaining so-called 'diplomatic ties' with China's Taiwan region and undermined China's core interests," according to Focus Taiwan.

The sanctions followed Taiwan's National Day celebrations on Saturday, October 10. During his speech outside the Presidential Office, President William Lai Ching-te said Taiwan "cherishes peace" and would "not give up our freedom."

China's Taiwan Affairs Office criticized Lai's remarks, saying they "disregards facts, distorts the truth, misleads the public, and reveals ulterior motives" in its response to the speech.

In January, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to achieve China's "reunification" with Taiwan, describing the objective as unstoppable. Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory, while Taiwan's government rejects that position.

Villate publicly reaffirmed Paraguay's relationship with Taiwan in a social media post marking the island's National Day. He wrote: "Paraguay reaffirms its relationship of friendship and cooperation, based on shared values and principles: the self-determination of peoples, human rights and democracy."

Belize's embassy in Taiwan also marked the 37th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two sides in a Facebook post. The embassy wrote: "Together, we look forward to a future of growth, opportunity, and lasting friendship."

Last month, Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung visited Belize, where the two sides agreed to deepen their relationship, according to Taiwan's foreign ministry. Other Taiwanese diplomatic partners in the Americas include Guatemala and Haiti, alongside three Caribbean island nations.

The United States does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan but is legally obligated to provide the island with the means to defend itself. Earlier in October, Washington delivered two fighter jets to Taiwan as Taipei continued efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities.