Paraguay expels Chinese diplomat for urging lawmakers to sever ties to Taiwan
Xu Wei, senior Chinese envoy to Latin America, is directed to leave the country after telling legislators to recognise mainland China
Paraguay has expelled a senior Chinese diplomat, accusing him of trying to interfere in the country’s domestic politics and to undermine its relations with Taiwan during a UN event.
Xu Wei, a senior Chinese envoy to Latin America, was in Asuncion to attend a Unesco meeting. However, Paraguayan authorities said Xu skipped the event on Wednesday to meet with members of the country’s congress.
There, he reportedly urged lawmakers to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognise mainland China instead, claiming that it would bring “thousands of advantages” to the South American nation.
Following the reports of Xu’s comments, the Paraguayan Foreign Ministry declared him persona non grata on Thursday, giving him 24 hours to leave the country.
In Beijing on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian denied that Xu was interfering in Paraguay’s domestic affairs and rejected what he called the “unreasonable and groundless” allegations made by the Paraguayan government.
China has been intensifying efforts to isolate Taiwan diplomatically, in recent years persuading four Latin American countries – Honduras, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and El Salvador – to cut ties with Taipei in favour of Beijing, often offering trade and investment deals in exchange.
