China Punishes Two Latin American Ministers for Ties With Taiwan – Even Though Neither Is Likely to Visit

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Sanctions Over Friendship With Taiwan

On Monday, China's Foreign Ministry announced sanctions against Gustavo Villate, Paraguay's communications minister, and Francis Fonseca, Belize's foreign minister. Beijing says the measures protect its "sovereignty, security and development interests" and are aimed at what it calls "Taiwan independence" activity.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning accused the two men of acting as "pawns" of Taiwan's government. She said they had visited Taiwan, hosted visitors from the island, and spread what she called disinformation about Chinese cyberattacks.

The punishments include freezing any assets the officials may hold in China, barring them from entering the country, and banning Chinese individuals and organizations from working with them.

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A Largely Symbolic Move

In practice, the sanctions are unlikely to change much. Officials from countries that recognize Taiwan rarely travel to China, and most have no assets there.

But the message matters more than the measure. Beijing is signaling that anyone who openly cooperates with Taipei can expect to be named and shamed. The same tactic has been used before, including against a Lithuanian deputy minister who visited Taiwan in 2022 and against a Japanese lawmaker known as a longtime friend of Taiwan.

Neither Paraguay nor Belize had publicly responded at the time of the announcement.

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The Cyberattack Dispute

One of Beijing's complaints is especially notable. In July, the government of Paraguay and the U.S. Embassy in Asunción stated that hackers linked to the Chinese government had broken into Paraguayan state systems. China flatly denied this.

In other words, Beijing is now punishing officials in part for talking about alleged cyberattacks, rather than addressing the accusation itself.

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Paraguay Under Pressure

Paraguay is the only country in South America that still recognizes Taiwan. Pressure on it has been building for months.

Reuters reported in March that Chinese officials had been courting Paraguayan lawmakers with all-expenses-paid trips to China. Participants said they were repeatedly told their country was missing out on economic opportunities because of its ties to Taipei.

Chinese diplomats have also been openly blunt. A Chinese envoy in Asunción was previously expelled by Paraguay after being accused of interfering in internal affairs; he had told lawmakers that Paraguay must choose "either China or Taiwan."

In May, President Santiago Peña made his first official visit to Taiwan and criticized China's military and economic pressure on the island. Beijing's spokespeople have since used sharp language against Paraguay's leaders. Paraguay's foreign minister called those remarks "regrettable" and said his country's relationship with Taiwan is built on shared values such as freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

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Taiwan's Shrinking Circle of Friends

Only 12 countries still maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Most are small nations in Central America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific, along with Eswatini in Africa and the Vatican.

In recent years, Nauru, Honduras and Nicaragua have switched their recognition to Beijing. At the same time, China sends warplanes and warships near Taiwan almost daily and has never ruled out taking the island by force.

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Lai: "We Value Peace, But Not at the Price of Freedom"

The sanctions came just two days after Taiwan's National Day on Saturday. In his speech, President Lai Ching-te said Taiwan values peace but will not surrender its freedom. He added that the island's higher defense spending is meant to deter a war, not to provoke one.

Beijing rejected the speech and accused Lai of ignoring the facts and misleading the public.

Taiwan has been governed separately from mainland China since 1949, when the Communist Party won the civil war and the defeated Nationalist government retreated to the island. The Communist Party has never ruled Taiwan, a point Beijing's rhetoric tends to leave out.

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What to Watch Next

Paraguay's and Belize's reactions will show how firmly each government stands behind its Taiwan ties. Both have so far resisted Beijing's economic temptations.

Washington's role is also worth watching. The U.S. Embassy in Asunción has already publicly backed Paraguay on the cyberattack issue. Taiwan's officials have pointed out that Beijing has sanctioned senior American figures before, including Marco Rubio, now U.S. Secretary of State, without changing U.S. support for Taiwan.

For now, the case shows how Beijing treats partners that choose Taiwan: with pressure, threats and punishment, rather than persuasion.

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Sources

1. AP News – "China sanctions Paraguay and Belize officials over ties with Taiwan": https://apnews.com/article/china-taiwan-sanctions-belize-paraguay-9e034184490a60a9905aea9e437daf1e
2. Reuters (via Yahoo News) – "How China is wooing Paraguay's political class away from longtime ally Taiwan": https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/china-wooing-paraguay-political-class-090404984.html
3. Voice of America (Spanish) – "Paraguay expulsa a un enviado chino por 'injerencia' en relación con Taiwán": https://www.vozdeamerica.com/a/paraguay-expulsa-a-un-enviado-chino-por-injerencia-en-relacion-con-taiwan/7889568.html
4. Última Hora – "Canciller Rubén Ramírez tacha de 'lamentables' declaraciones de China por relación de Paraguay con Taiwán" (17 July 2026): https://www.ultimahora.com/el-canciller-ruben-ramirez-tacha-de-lamentables-declaraciones-de-china-por-relacion-de-paraguay-con-taiwan
5. Reuters – "China sanctions Lithuanian deputy minister for visiting Taiwan" (2022): https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-china-sanctions-lithuanian-deputy-minister-for-visiting-taiwan-2
6. Taiwan News – Deputy Foreign Minister Chen condemns sanctions on Japanese lawmaker Furuya Keiji: https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6331575

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