Key facts
- Gustavo Villate heads Paraguay's Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies.
- Villate suggested Beijing acted to protect Chinese telecoms suppliers excluded from Paraguay's networks.
Paraguay's technology minister, Gustavo Villate, stated on Thursday that sanctions imposed by Beijing over the country's ties with Taiwan would only accelerate joint projects with Taipei. Villate, who leads the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies, wrote in a social media post that the relationship with Taiwan would "never be on the negotiating table." He also suggested that Beijing's actions were intended to protect Chinese telecommunications suppliers that have been excluded from Paraguay's networks.