The Trump administration accused China of "coercion and aggression" after Beijing imposed sanctions on government ministers from Paraguay and Belize over their countries' diplomatic relations with Taiwan, reaffirming Washington's support for the island and its remaining allies.
"The Trump administration opposes China's coercion and aggression against countries in our hemisphere for exercising their sovereign rights," State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement reported by Reuters. "We stand with our friends and partners, including Taiwan, to advance our shared prosperity, security, and values."
China sanctioned Paraguayan Information and Communications Technology Minister Gustavo Villate and Belizean Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca on Monday. The measures are largely symbolic because officials from countries recognizing Taiwan rarely travel to China.
Responding to Washington's criticism Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the one-China principle was a foundation of international relations and U.S.-China ties, according to the state-affiliated Global Times.
Mao urged Washington to respect the three U.S.-China joint communiqués, handle Taiwan-related matters cautiously and stop sending what Beijing considers encouraging signals to supporters of Taiwanese independence.
Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory, while Taipei rejects China's sovereignty claims.
Pigott also cited Secretary of State Marco Rubio's earlier warning that Washington would not allow adversaries to use the Western Hemisphere to threaten U.S. security or undermine its alliances.
Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi accused China of extending "transnational repression" to Taiwan's diplomatic partners. "Do they intend to sanction the entire world?" Chen asked, according to Reuters.
The diplomatic dispute comes amid renewed debate over Washington's approach to Taiwan. In an analysis published Tuesday, the South China Morning Post's Albee Zhang examined proposals by a minority of U.S. foreign policy strategists to abandon strategic ambiguity and explicitly rule out military intervention in a Taiwan conflict.
Jennifer Kavanagh, director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, argued in the piece that China's expanding military capabilities have raised doubts about Washington's ability to prevail in such a conflict.
The proposals face opposition in U.S. national security circles. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has paused a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan, according to the South China Morning Post, underscoring uncertainty over Washington's broader policy toward the island.
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