US says it opposes Chinese 'coercion', after Belize, Paraguay ministers sanctioned

​The ​Trump administration opposes "coercion ‌and aggression" ​by China against ‌countries for exercising their sovereign rights, the U.S. State Department said, ‌after Beijing sanctioned a ‌Belize and Paraguay minister over their ties to Taiwan. "We ⁠stand ​with ⁠our friends and partners, including Taiwan, ⁠to advance our shared prosperity, ​security, and values," State Spokesman ⁠Tommy Pigott said in ⁠a ​statement.

Belize and Paraguay are two of ⁠just 12 countries which maintain formal ⁠diplomatic ⁠ties with Chinese-claimed Taiwan.