China has placed formal sanctions on Paraguay’s communications minister and Belize’s foreign minister in direct retaliation for their nations’ ongoing diplomatic ties with Taiwan. The measures, announced by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, include travel bans to Hong Kong and Macau alongside a prohibition on Chinese entities conducting transactions with the officials. Beijing justified the move by citing national sovereignty and accusing the targeted politicians of pursuing “anti-China” activities and damaging core national interests. The penalties follow recent high-level bilateral engagements between representatives of Belize and Paraguay and visiting Taiwanese officials. The escalation reflects Beijing’s ongoing strategy to pressure Taiwan’s dwindling number of global allies into severing formal diplomatic recognition.

Full report : Beijing targets high-ranking officials from two of Taiwan’s remaining diplomatic allies with visa bans and asset restrictions, escalating pressure to isolate Taipei.