China has said Taiwan will face “consequences” for its presence at the annual Pacific leaders’ summit in Palau on Monday.
Palau is hosting this year’s gathering of Pacific nations and the archipelago is among the handful of countries to maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
The US, EU, Britain, Canada, India, and Japan are also among the 21 dialogue partners of the forum.
The tensions between Beijing and Taipei were visible at the summit at which Asia-Pacific allies gathered to demonstrate regional unity.
Taiwan sent its foreign affairs minister, Lin Chia-lung, as the representative at the forum, where he was invited for meetings and side events held alongside the talks.
Mr Lin said his country was “honoured to serve as a partner in the Pacific, continuing to stand with everyone and work together to make the Pacific more prosperous and peaceful”.
China’s special envoy for Pacific Island affairs, Qian Bo, said his nation had serious concerns with Taiwan in attendance as the self-governed island is not a dialogue partner with the forum.
“There will always be consequences,” Mr Qian said, without specifying the nature of the consequences. He denied the remarks were a threat and didn’t provide further details. Beijing has long sought Taipei’s exclusion from international summits through diplomatic pressure.
“This is objected to by all, so this should not have happened. We think it’s very inappropriate to do so,” the Chinese official told reporters on Monday after an opening ceremony in Palau.
The Chinese envoy said his nation had “serious concerns” about Taiwan being given space at the forum despite Beijing claiming its smaller neighbour as its own territory. China views Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out taking over the democratically-governed island with force, “if necessary”.
He added that China has the “understanding and support” of most Pacific nations. “We have made our position very clear to the government of Palau and the secretariat,” he said.
The archipelago of over 500 islands has maintained diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
China’s reactions to Taiwan were also condemned by Pacific allies present at the forum.
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said “the Pacific Islands Forum determines what happens here, not any other country”, when asked by reporters about the Chinese envoy’s remarks.
“This is primarily a gathering of the Pacific family … and I look forward to the engagement,” Mr Albanese said on Tuesday, refusing to directly criticise China’s comments towards Australia’s Pacific neighbours.
New Zealand’s foreign minister Winston Peters said the group is not taking instructions from countries outside of it.
Host nation’s president Surangal Whipps Jr also indirectly addressed the reservations from China in his remarks during the forum’s opening ceremony.
“Our partners are welcome to sail with us, but they do not choose our destination.”
Mr Lin said: “If we go to a party, we always follow the directions of the host.
“However, whenever China goes to a party, it makes itself as if it’s the host and China ruins the whole atmosphere of the party.”
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, said Taiwan was “not qualified to participate in the activities of the forum at all”.
“The Taiwan authorities sent Lin Chia-lung and other Taiwan independence separatists to make sneaky visits around in a vain attempt to attract eyeballs and attention, and the result can only be inviting disgrace upon themselves,” he said at a regular news briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.
China has previously raised questions on Taiwan hosting diplomatic forums and officials from other democratic nations attending them. It has gradually whittled away the number of Pacific Island countries with formal ties to Taipei, with only three remaining – Palau, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands.
The leaders of Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Kiribati did not attend the gathering of the 18-member group that counts Australia, New Zealand and Pacific island nations as members. Ministers are attending in their place.
