Several Guatemalan congressmen have visited China, causing concern. Foreign media revealed that they were suspected of being funded by China or Huawei.

Taiwan and its friendly country Guatemala will celebrate the 92nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Taiwan is one of the most important trade and cooperation partners of the friendly country Guatemala, and this year will celebrate the 92nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. However, it has recently been reported that many members of the country's parliament have traveled to China to participate in technology activities and international forums in recent years, causing concern. Foreign media revealed that some congressmen's trips to China were suspected of being funded by the Chinese government or the Chinese company Huawei. Experts even described such arrangements as "political tourism" and believed that Beijing might use this to win over local politicians and further promote the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The Guatemalan media "La Hora" disclosed that several Vamos party congressmen related to former President Alejandro Giammattei have traveled to China. Giammattei was sanctioned by the United States for corruption, and congressmen named by the media include Héctor Aldana, Carolina Cifuentes and Guillermo Cifuentes.

In addition, Evan Ellis, professor of Latin American studies at the Institute of Strategic Studies at the U.S. Army War College, has also made relevant accusations. Representatives from other political parties, including Luis Aguirre, Cristian Álvarez, José Pablo Mendoza, Luis Rodríguez and Cornelio García, have also traveled to China.

Among them, Héctor Aldana confirmed that he had traveled to Shanghai in 2025 to participate in technology events held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center from June 18 to 20. At that time, the Guatemalan Congress was discussing the draft "Cybersecurity Law", and the activities covered topics such as artificial intelligence, mobile communications, 5G networks and the Internet of Things industry.

However, he denied that Huawei had funded or helped arrange the trip. He said that he was invited to participate in a technology exhibition, and Huawei also invited politicians, entrepreneurs and journalists from many Central American countries to participate in related activities.

Héctor Aldana also confirmed that he had gone to the Chinese Embassy in Costa Rica to apply for the visa required to travel to China because Guatemala does not have diplomatic relations with Beijing. "The visa has expired and I have no interest in renewing it," he said.

While these politicians are in contact with China, Guatemala still maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which also brings more attention to the relevant itineraries. Outsiders believe that China has been actively expanding its political and economic influence in Latin America for a long time, and establishing relations with local politicians may also become a way for Beijing to gain diplomatic space.

On the other hand, the United States also pays close attention to China's influence in Guatemala. In February 2025, when then-U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Guatemala, he expressed doubts about China's expansion. When talking about the possibility of Chinese technology companies entering important local economic sectors, he specifically named Huawei to remind him of the risks that related technology deployment may bring.