Paraguay minister rejects Beijing pressure over Taiwan ties
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Paraguay’s technology minister, Gustavo Villate, said sanctions imposed by Beijing would strengthen rather than weaken cooperation with Taiwan, arguing that joint projects with Taipei would move faster after the move. In a lengthy social media post on Thursday, he said Paraguay’s relationship with Taiwan would “never be on the negotiating table”. Villate also suggested China acted in part to defend telecoms suppliers that have been excluded from Paraguay’s networks since 2023. The dispute comes as Beijing continues to reduce the number of countries that maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taipei
Key Points
- China’s foreign ministry announced on Monday that Villate would face asset freezes in China, a ban on dealings with Chinese people and organisations, and entry restrictions covering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau
- Villate said the sanctions effectively validated Paraguay’s policy since 2023, writing that the punishment was proof his ministry had chosen the correct path
- Paraguay is the only country in South America that still recognises Taipei, even as Beijing persuaded Honduras to switch in March 2023 and Nauru in January 2024
- Beijing imposed the same measures on Belize foreign minister Francis Fonseca, and Taiwanese media said it was the first time officials from Taiwan’s allies had been sanctioned
- The penalties were issued under China’s 2021 Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law and appear largely symbolic because Villate said he has no assets in China
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the case shows that Beijing’s sanctions tools now explicitly extend to entry into Hong Kong as well as the mainland and Macau. It also underlines how the contest over Taiwan’s remaining diplomatic partners is reaching beyond foreign ministries into technology policy, telecoms access and market calculations