Beijing. China has always been very sensitive about Taiwan. He has always considered China as his part. However, contrary to this claim, Taiwan considers itself a sovereign country. In such a situation, if any country tries to strengthen relations with Taiwan, the officials in Beijing would fall on deaf ears. In this episode, China has taken tough decisions regarding Paraguay and Belize.
China on Monday imposed sanctions on the Communications Minister of Paraguay and the Foreign Minister of Belize. This step has been taken regarding the relations between the two countries with Taiwan. Paraguay and Belize are among the 12 countries that have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Belize is an independent country on the east coast of Central America.
However, these restrictions are largely symbolic, as ministers from Taiwan's allies do not usually visit China. There has been no statement from Paraguay and Belize on this decision of China. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry also did not immediately comment.
China's Foreign Ministry cited national sovereignty and security behind these steps. The ministry said that some politicians in Belize and Paraguay are adopting an anti-China stance by advocating that their countries maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
After the latest ban, ministers from Paraguay and Belize will also not be able to enter Hong Kong and Macau. In addition, Chinese organizations and individuals are also prohibited from transacting, cooperating or engaging in other activities with relevant authorities.
Let us tell you that Belize Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca had met his Taiwanese counterpart Lin Chia-Lung in Belize last month. In June, Paraguay's Information and Communication Technology Minister Gustavo Vilate met Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi in Paraguay.
The Embassy of Belize in Taiwan also posted a message on its Facebook page. In this, on October 11, the 37th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries was celebrated.
Earlier, such sanctions were also imposed mainly on leaders and politicians of Western countries who supported Taiwan. China has often been imposing sanctions on such countries as a strategy to put pressure on them.
In recent times, China has increased the pressure on Taiwan's remaining diplomatic allies to break relations with Taiwan. The last country to break ties with Taiwan was Nauru, a small nation located in the Pacific Ocean, which did so in 2024. Earlier, in 2023, Honduras had also ended its decades-old diplomatic relations with Taiwan.