TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Diplomatic ally Paraguay expelled a Chinese envoy Thursday after he called for cutting ties with Taiwan.

Paraguay kicked out Chinese diplomat Xu Wei (徐偉) who was in the country to attend an annual UNESCO meeting and ordered him to leave within 24 hours, per AP. Xu was accused of interfering in Paraguay's domestic affairs and urging the country to sever its long-standing ties and friendship with Taiwan.

Paraguay's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a brief statement saying it had revoked Xu's visa and declared him persona non grata “over interference in internal affairs."

Xu was absent from the UNESCO meeting Wednesday and instead appeared at Paraguay's Congress in Asuncion, where he called on the country to abandon Taiwan.

The Taiwan Embassy in Paraguay Wednesday accused Xu of infiltrating Paraguay and denounced his public attempt to "undermine the firm friendship between Paraguay and Taiwan with the fallacy of promoting 'one China.'”

The embassy also reiterated that Taiwan "is an independent and sovereign country, neither Xu Wei nor China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs can change this reality. The Chinese Communist regime has not represented and will never represent Taiwan."

In a recording after meeting with two opposition lawmakers in Paraguay's Congress, Xu said, "Having diplomatic relations with China you can earn more, save more, lower your costs," per Reuters. Xu said that the purpose of his visit was to "promote, 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."

Xu said that Asuncion would have to choose Beijing or Taipei: "There is no 'and' option. With China and Taiwan it's just 'or': China or Taiwan."