#EXCLUSIVE Taiwan FM Names Belize Projects as China Sanctions Fonseca

Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Dr Lin Chia-lung says projects in health care, agriculture, aquaculture and tourism are the areas of cooperation with Belize that he is most optimistic about, as Beijing sanctions Belize’s Foreign Minister over ties to Taiwan.

Lin gave the comments exclusively to News 5 in Taiwan for an event that reporter Paul Lopez attended.

He was asked which specific area of cooperation he remains most optimistic about. His answer did not address the sanctions.

“So apart from the whole prosperity academy that we are working with the University of Belize, we also have projects in health care; we have the San Pedro hospital; we are working on a smart health system; we are working on smart agriculture and aquaculture.”

Lin said Taiwan hopes to import Belizean shrimp, lobster, cacao and coffee. He said Taiwan is also helping Caribbean countries tackle sargassum, which he described as a problem for many of them. Taiwan hopes to use circular economy methods on the seaweed and generate renewable energy from it.

Lin also said Taiwan wants to send more of its travellers to Belize. “Belize is also a tourism hotspot. We hope to work with tourism companies here in Taiwan so we can direct tourists that go to the United States to also Belize as well.”

China’s foreign ministry announced unilateral measures on October 12 against Belize’s Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca and a Paraguayan minister over their countries’ ties to Taiwan.

Fonseca said, “Belize is proud to stand with Taiwan in support of the principles of self-determination and international law.” Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the measures and said they will not alter the country’s foreign policy. “The Government of Belize continues to stand fully behind Minister Fonseca.”

The US State Department said it opposes “coercion and aggression” by China against countries exercising their sovereign rights. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said the US should “stop sending the wrong signals to Taiwan separatist forces.”

Belize and Paraguay are two of 12 countries with formal diplomatic ties to Taiwan.

US Condemns China’s “Coercion” After Belize Minister Sanctioned