Paraguay Tech Minister Gustavo Villate Defies Beijing Sanctions Over Taiwan Ties
On Thursday, Gustavo Villate, Paraguay's technology minister, expressed that the sanctions from Beijing due to his country’s ties with Taiwan would only speed up their cooperation with the island. Villate, who found himself on a blacklist along with Belize's foreign minister, suggested this was a reaction to Paraguay's choice to keep Chinese telecom companies Huawei and ZTE out of its 5G plans. He stated, "This sanction essentially validates that our approach since 2023 is correct." Villate described the blacklisting as a reinforcement of Paraguay's position since 2023, emphasizing that their relationship with Taiwan is "non-negotiable."
Key facts
- Gustavo Villate is Paraguay's technology minister
- Villate was blacklisted by Beijing alongside Belize's foreign minister
- Villate said the sanctions would accelerate joint projects with Taiwan
- He suggested the sanctions were retaliation for excluding Huawei and ZTE from Paraguay's 5G
- Villate wrote that the sanction certifies the path Paraguay has followed since 2023
- Villate said Paraguay's Taiwan ties are 'not up for negotiation'
- He suggested Beijing acted to protect Chinese telecoms suppliers kept out of Paraguay's networks
- The statement was made on Thursday
Entities
Artists
- Gustavo Villate
Institutions
- Huawei
- ZTE
Locations
- Paraguay
- Taiwan
- Beijing
- China
- Belize