GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) -Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo confirmed on Friday that China had rejected entry to some shipments from the Central American nation, and speculated that it could be due to Guatemala’s relationship with Taiwan.
The day before, Guatemala’s exporters association had reported that seven containers of macadamia nut had been unable to enter China so far and that traders had been told Guatemalan macadamia and coffee would be denied entry.
Guatemalas hold diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Beijing claims that both China and Taiwan belong to “one China,” which Taiwan rejects.
“As you know, the inauguration of the new Taiwanese government, which Guatemala has ties with, was a few days ago,” Arevalo said, speaking in a live question-and-answer session on TikTok. “There could be some dispute with China related to this.”
Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro Martinez attended the inauguration of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Monday.
Arevalo added that the Guatemalan government was working to solve the issue but that it had yet to receive a response from China.
(Reporting by Sofia Menchu; Editing by Brendan O’Boyle)
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