China has imposed sanctions on ministers from Paraguay and Belize for supporting Taiwan

 China has imposed sanctions on Paraguay’s Minister of Information and Communication Technologies, Gustavo Villate, and Belize’s Foreign Minister, Francis Fonseca, for maintaining diplomatic relations with Taiwan. 

The decisions were published on the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s website and took effect on October 12.

 The restrictions entail freezing the officials' assets within China and prohibiting Chinese organizations and citizens from engaging in transactions or cooperation with them. The ministers are also barred from entering China, including Hong Kong and Macau, and are ineligible for visas. These measures are set out in separate decisions regarding Villate and Fonseca.

 The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that the politicians had supported the maintenance of their countries' diplomatic ties with Taiwan and had harmed China’s "core interests" through their actions and statements. The ministry explained the sanctions as a measure to safeguard sovereignty and national security, as well as to counter proponents of the island's independence.

 Paraguay and Belize are among Taiwan's 12 diplomatic partners. In September, Fonseca met with Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung in Belize. Villate hosted the deputy head of Taiwan's foreign ministry in Paraguay in June, Reuters reports.