China sanctions Paraguay, Belize officials over ties with Taiwan

China sanctioned Paraguay’s communications minister and Belize’s foreign minister on Monday over ties with Taiwan, the island democracy Beijing claims as its own.

The sanctions against Gustavo Villate of Paraguay and Francis Fonseca of Belize serve to safeguard China’s “national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and to oppose separatist acts seeking Taiwan independence,’” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on its website.

Paraguay and Belize are among the last 12 remaining diplomatic allies of Taiwan, an island democracy China sees as its own territory, to be annexed by force if necessary. In recent years, Beijing has increased its military pressure on the island, sending warplanes near it almost daily. It has also ramped up a campaign of winning over its diplomatic partners. Countries including Nauru, Honduras and Nicaragua have switched allegiances from Taiwan to Beijing in recent years.