Paraguay expels visiting Chinese ambassador who urged lawmakers to reject Taiwan | Political Affairs

China has made diplomatic interventions in Latin America, where trade concerns have led some countries to cut ties with Taiwan.

The South American country of Paraguay has expelled China’s spokesman for allegedly “interfering in domestic affairs”.

Paraguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Thursday that the visa of Xu Wei, the Chinese envoy, has been cancelled. The country gave him 24 hours to leave, saying he was a man of no words.

Xu is said to have told lawmakers that they must choose between relations with Taiwan and China after suddenly appearing at the Paraguayan Congress.

He was in this country to attend the annual conference of UNESCO, the United Nations organization for international cooperation in culture, science and the arts.

“This gentleman had the same agenda. He came to do internal politics that was inappropriate,” said Juan Baiardi, deputy minister of administration and technology at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay.

Paraguay is part of a dwindling number of countries that maintain diplomatic relations with the self-governing island of Taiwan.

China, which claims Taiwan’s territory as its own, wants countries to choose between recognizing Taiwan and maintaining ties with its government in Beijing. Only 12 countries choose to recognize Taiwan – and Paraguay is the only one in South America to do so.

On Wednesday, Xu skipped the UNESCO meeting and instead met with officials in the Paraguayan capital, Asuncion, where he called on lawmakers to abandon Taiwan and strengthen ties with China.

“It could be China or Taiwan,” he said. “I recommend that the Paraguayan government make the right decision as soon as possible.”

Xu added that relations with China would bring increased trade opportunities, as well as “thousands of other benefits”.

Speaking to the media afterwards, Xu reiterated that building a relationship with China instead of Taiwan would pay economic dividends.

“Currently, there is almost no direct trade or export from Paraguay to China,” he said. “It is a great shame. Paraguayans give their profits to intermediaries. But with diplomatic relations with China, you can benefit greatly. “

With countries such as Brazil and Argentina enjoying strong exports of products such as beef and soybeans to China, some members of Paraguay’s Congress have suggested that making the change would be beneficial.

In recent years, many Latin American countries – including Honduras, Panama, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador – have severed ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing, whose influence in the region has increased and trade agreements that provide access to its most profitable. markets.

Xu urged Paraguayan officials to also choose China over Taiwan, saying that this issue will not be discussed.

“It is not an option to choose between China and Taiwan. No, ‘or’. It could be China or Taiwan,” said Xu. “In my case, I recommend that the Paraguayan government make the right decision as soon as possible.”

On the other hand, Taiwan has reacted angrily to China’s efforts to reverse its diplomatic recognition abroad, and responded with force to Xu’s request in Paraguay.

“He entered Paraguay with an unknown purpose, to destroy the strong friendship between Paraguay and Taiwan,” Taiwan’s ambassador to the country said in a social media post.