Bangkok:Belize Prime Minister John Briceño has criticized China's recent sanctions against Belize's Foreign Minister, labeling them as "uncalled for," "unjustified," "wrong," and "illegal." He emphasized that these actions would only reinforce Belize's commitment to supporting Taiwan.

According to Focus Taiwan, Briceño expressed his concerns during an interview in Bangkok, where he was attending the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. He stated his disappointment with China's decision to impose sanctions on Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca, reaffirming Belize's stance as an independent nation capable of making its own decisions.

Briceño assured that the sanctions would not affect Belize's dedication to its relationship with Taiwan. The sanctions, announced by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, include freezing assets of Fonseca and Paraguayan Minister of Information and Communication Technologies Gustavo Villate within China, banning transactions with Chinese entities, and denying them entry into China, including Hong Kong and Macau.

The sanctions followed Fonseca and Villate's participation in a National Day event in Taipei celebrating the Republic of China (Taiwan).