US Opposes Chinese Sanctions on Belize, Paraguay — SkimNews
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- US State Department said it opposes Chinese 'coercion and aggression' against countries in the Western Hemisphere exercising their sovereign rights, after Beijing sanctioned ministers from Belize and Paraguay for ties to Taiwan.
- China imposed sanctions on a Belize minister and a Paraguay minister over their diplomatic relations with Taipei.
- Paraguay and Belize are 2 of just 12 countries that maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, down from more in recent years as Beijing has poached allies.
- The sanctions are largely symbolic, since ministers from Taiwan's diplomatic allies generally do not travel to China; Beijing has previously imposed similar measures mainly on Western politicians who back Taiwan.
- State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott cited Secretary of State Marco Rubio's earlier statement that the US 'will not allow our region to become a base of operation for adversaries, competitors, and rivals to threaten our security.'
- Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi said China was extending 'transnational repression' to Taiwan's allies, asking rhetorically whether Beijing 'plan[s] to sanction the whole world.'
- Nauru severed ties with Taiwan in 2024 and Honduras ended decades-long relations in 2023, part of an ongoing pressure campaign that has whittled Taipei's diplomatic roster to 12 nations.
Why it matters: The US response elevates a largely symbolic Chinese sanctions move into a direct diplomatic confrontation between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan's dwindling allies. With Nauru (2024) and Honduras (2023) having recently defected to Beijing, the remaining 12 holdouts are now a frontline of US-China competition in Latin America. Washington's framing as 'coercion and aggression' signals it will publicly defend each remaining ally rather than let Taipei be isolated quietly.
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