Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

The Chinese Consulate General in Sao Paulo issued a sharp and solemn statement on Saturday. The statement firmly rejected a joint announcement by the Paraguayan Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies and the US Embassy in Paraguay which made baseless accusations against China regarding so-called malicious cyber activities targeting the Paraguayan government. 

The Chinese Consulate General in Sao Paulo oversees Chinese consular affairs and relations in the region, including interactions involving Paraguay, the only South American nation that maintains so-called "diplomatic relations" with the Taiwan authorities.

Describing the allegations as "irresponsible" and "politically motivated," the Consulate General strongly urged Washington to stop its smear campaigns and explicitly warned Asuncion not to be used as a geopolitical tool or to politicize cybersecurity issues.

This warning strikes at the very heart of Paraguay's recent erratic foreign policy maneuvers. Beijing's direct advisory for Paraguay to avoid becoming a geopolitical pawn is a clear-eyed response to a series of highly speculative political dramas orchestrated by Asuncion. 

Before this cyber-accusation farce, Paraguay had been desperately attempting to pull off a "two-timing" diplomatic stunt, trying to separate trade from politics in its dealings with China. 

Faced with growing diplomatic isolation among its neighbors, Paraguayan Foreign Minister Ruben Ramirez recently made a public political probe. He expressed a desire to establish trade relations with Beijing while simultaneously maintaining "diplomatic" ties with the Taiwan authorities. This was a classic attempt to have it three ways: pocketing financial aid from Taipei while reaping the massive economic windfalls of the Chinese mainland market, and continuing to serve America's Latin America strategy.

Such a calculation reflects a profound misjudgment of international relations and multilateral rules. Asuncion must be aware of Beijing's policies: On matters of core national interest, there is absolutely no room for ambiguity or opportunistic hedging. Without political mutual trust, there will never be any institutional trade concessions or preferential economic treatment. The one-China principle is a non-negotiable red line, and China will never allow any country to double-dip at the expense of its national sovereignty.

The concoction of cyber security disinformation against China by the US and Paraguay is a direct product of the US vigorous attempts to win over and security-bind Paraguay. Through measures such as signing the Status of Forces Agreement, the US is transforming Paraguay into a military outpost for its geopolitical game in Latin America.

On the Taiwan question, Paraguay also exhibits a similarly speculative policy orientation; this subservient stance toward US strategy has made it a structural obstacle to the collective interests of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). 

Economic and trade relations between China and other Mercosur member countries have developed quickly in recent years. Regional integration and comprehensive cooperation between China and Mercosur are historical inevitabilities that serve the shared prosperity of South American nations. Such a grand trend cannot be held hostage by the narrow, short-sighted interests of Asuncion. By unquestioningly aligning with Washington's containment strategy, Paraguay risks being left behind by the fast-moving train of regional economic integration.

Tethering itself to the US geopolitical chariot will yield Paraguay nothing but strategic disillusionment. Washington's "security guarantees" cannot buy Paraguay's soy and beef, nor can they satisfy the desperate demands of Paraguayan farmers locked out of the world's most dynamic market. Smearing China to prove its loyalty to the US only exposes Paraguay's lack of strategic maturity and its disregard for the basic norms of international diplomacy.

For China, the one-China principle is an absolute red line on sovereignty that permits no compromise. If Paraguay refuses to align itself with the tide of history and continues to allow itself to be weaponized by outside powers, it will find that the geopolitical dividends it seeks are entirely illusory. Ultimately, Asuncion's diplomatic opportunism will only drag the country into a self-inflicted quagmire of economic stagnation and marginalization in regional development.