China's move to punish a Belizean cabinet minister has backfired, hardening Belize's commitment to Taiwan — bad news for Beijing's pressure campaign on Taipei's remaining allies.

• Belize's Prime Minister John Briceño called China's sanctions on his foreign minister senseless, wrong and illegal.
• China froze the assets of Belize's foreign minister and Paraguay's technology minister and banned them from entering the country, including Hong Kong and Macau.
• Briceño said Belize is an independent country with the right to choose its own ties, and the sanctions will not change its backing for Taiwan.
• He pledged to keep speaking up for Taiwan at international forums and said it deserves recognition at the UN.
• He pointed to Taiwan's economy, currency reserves, tech and AI, healthcare and climate science as proof it functions as a country.

Outlook: Beijing is likely to keep squeezing Taiwan's few remaining diplomatic partners, but Belize and Paraguay show no sign of switching sides.