Paraguay has expelled a Chinese envoy for alleged interference in its internal affairs and calling on the South American nation to cut ties with Taiwan.
In a brief statement Thursday, Paraguay’s foreign ministry said it had revoked the visa of Xu Wei, a high-ranking Chinese envoy to Latin America who was in Paraguay for an annual UNESCO meeting, declaring him persona non grata “for interfering in internal affairs.” The Chinese diplomat was given 24 hours to leave the country.
The day before, Sue skipped the UNESCO session and instead appeared at the congress in the capital, Asuncion, where she caused a diplomatic stir by calling Paraguay to expel Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island of 23 million people that China claims as its territory.
Paraguay is the only nation in South America and one of only 12 in the world to recognize Taiwan as a country. Government of Paraguay remained steadfast in his commitment – even as Beijing steps up its lobbying of foreign partners to stop recognizing the island.
In recent years, four countries in Latin America – Honduras, Panamaon Dominican Republic and El Salvador – severed ties with Taiwan in favor of Beijing, whose one-China principle forces countries to choose between full diplomatic relations with China or Taiwan.
From the halls of the futuristic convention building in Asuncion, which Taiwan aided the funding, Xu stressed Beijing’s interest in establishing relations with Paraguay, but said the onus was on officials in Paraguay to take the first step.
“They are both China or Taiwan,” he said. “I recommend the Paraguayan government to make the right decision as soon as possible.”
Addressing lawmakers, Xu listed the prospect of expanded trade with Beijing among “thousands of other benefits.” Some members of Paraguay’s Congress, citing farmers’ struggles to export soybeans and beef to China, say the nation stands to gain from the diplomatic turnaround in the long run.
China’s trade with South America has grown exponentially in recent years, reaching nearly $500 billion by 2023, according to data from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
On Wednesday, the Taiwanese embassy in Paraguay attacked China on social media platform X, calling Xu an “infiltrator” who seeks to “undermine the firm friendship between Paraguay and Taiwan” that dates back to 1957.
