The United States has condemned China’s recent decision to impose sanctions on government ministers from Belize and Paraguay, two of the few countries maintaining formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. The sanctions come amid Beijing’s ongoing efforts to pressure nations that recognize Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province without sovereign status—a claim Taipei rejects.

Belize and Paraguay are among only 12 countries that maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Officials from these nations typically avoid traveling to China, rendering the sanctions largely symbolic. However, they reflect China’s broader strategy of isolating Taiwan diplomatically by targeting the island’s remaining allies.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson, Tommy Piggott, criticized China’s actions as coercive. He emphasized the Trump administration’s opposition to “coercion and aggression” against countries exercising their sovereign rights. Piggott reiterated warnings by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the United States would not tolerate adversaries using the Western Hemisphere to threaten U.S. security or disrupt partnerships. “We stand with our friends and partners, including Taiwan, to advance our shared prosperity, security and values,” Piggott said.

In response, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry urged the United States to cease sending “wrong signals” to forces seeking Taiwan’s independence, underscoring Beijing’s stance that Taiwan remains an integral part of China.

Taiwan, which lacks formal diplomatic relations with the United States despite significant support, views China’s measures as part of a broader pattern of “transnational repression.” Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chai, speaking from Taipei’s Parliament on October 13, said the island’s growing international presence has provoked increased Chinese sanctions and expressed skepticism about Beijing’s intentions. “Do they plan to sanction the whole world?” he asked.

Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai also addressed the situation at Parliament, condemning China’s interference in the international diplomacy of sovereign states, including Taiwan itself, which officially calls itself the Republic of China. He affirmed Taiwan’s determination to resist “any expansion of hegemony or authoritarianism.”

China’s campaign to pressure Taiwan’s diplomatic partners has accelerated recently. In 2023, Honduras severed its decades-long relations with Taiwan, and the Pacific island nation of Nauru followed suit in 2024. The latest sanctions against Belizean and Paraguayan officials represent the continuation of Beijing’s efforts to isolate Taiwan on the global stage and dissuade further diplomatic recognition of the island.