China has hit senior officials in two of Taiwan's few remaining diplomatic allies with sanctions, a sign Beijing is squeezing Taipei's shrinking circle of friends harder.

• China froze the assets of Paraguay's technology minister and Belize's foreign minister and barred both from entering China, Hong Kong, or Macau.
• Chinese individuals and groups are also banned from doing any business with the two.
• Taiwan's foreign ministry called the move a crude attempt to bully other countries into dropping Taipei, and said Beijing has no say over Taiwan's foreign relations.
• Paraguay and Belize are among the handful of states that still recognize Taiwan, which makes their officials targets for pressure.

Outlook: Expect Beijing to keep targeting officials in Taiwan's remaining allies, while Taipei leans on aid and development programs to hold those ties together.