Beijing

Paraguay cancelled a low-level Chinese diplomat's visa and ordered him to leave, the South American country's foreign ministry said on Thursday, after the envoy appeared to coax lawmakers to reconsider Paraguay's friendly relationship with Taiwan.

The foreign ministry accused Xu Wei of "interference in domestic affairs," while Taiwan's embassy in the country accused him of having "infiltrated" Paraguay to try to undermine its relationship with Chinese-claimed Taiwan.

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The ministry did not specify what Xu's interference had been but said he had violated the terms of his visa after travelling to Paraguay as part of a Chinese group for a UNESCO meeting. Xu was given 24 hours to leave the country.

In comments recorded at Paraguay's Congress and shared with Reuters, Xu urged Paraguay to recognize China over Taiwan, saying that the choice would benefit the soy-producing nation.

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Xu made the comments after meeting with two opposition lawmakers who share sympathetic views toward China.

"Having diplomatic relations with China you can earn more, save more, lower your costs," Xu said in the recording.

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"My purpose of this visit is to promote, and accelerate the process of filling the gap in the map of Paraguay, that gap is gigantic, which is called the People's Republic of China."

He added that Paraguay had to make a choice. "There is no 'and' option. With China and Taiwan it's just 'or': China or Taiwan."

China's foreign affairs ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Paraguay's long-standing diplomatic support for Taiwan has held back local farmers' grains exports to China. Paraguay is the only remaining South American country with formal relations with Taiwan. China considers democratically governed Taiwan its territory. Taipei rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, saying only the island's people can decide their future.

"This gentleman had a parallel agenda, he came to do internal politics that were not appropriate," said Juan Baiardi, Deputy Minister of Administration and Technical Affairs of Paraguay's Foreign Ministry.

Speaking to reporters while on a visit to the Pacific Islands nation of Palau, another Taipei ally, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said Paraguay's government and people were firm upholders of democracy.

"China's threatening and baiting of countries around the world is not news," he said.

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