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By Huang Ching-hsuan and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The Taiwan International Youth Ambassadors Association on Wednesday voiced security concerns after unidentified people, who they said spoke with a Chinese accent, were seen photographing and recording guests at a Taiwan Night event in Palau on Tuesday.
Taiwan and Palau jointly hosted the event for participants in the Pacific Prosperity Exhibit, including members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ International Youth Ambassadors program.
The association said in a Facebook post that the unidentified people repeatedly photographed and recorded guests during the event.
Photo from the Taiwan International Youth Ambassadors Association Facebook
The incident came after Chinese Special Envoy for Pacific Island Countries Affairs Qian Bo (錢波) on Monday said that Taiwan’s participation in events surrounding the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in Palau would “have consequences.”
China has also issued a travel warning advising its citizens not to visit Palau.
Taiwan was excluded from last year’s PIF leaders’ meeting in the Solomon Islands, but participated in events surrounding this year’s forum in Palau, including the Pacific Prosperity Exhibit and the Taiwan/Republic of China-Forum Countries Dialogue.
The 55th PIF Leaders Meeting is being held in Koror from Sunday last week to today.
The association also echoed Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung’s (林佳龍) comments that China was “weaponizing” normal interactions between people, saying that this time, “China’s threat” was being displayed openly.
Representatives said Taiwan Night was intended to be a simple social gathering at which participants could chat, exchange ideas and get to know one another.
They said they were confused as to why China would take such an approach, when Taiwan simply wanted to build friendships.
International Youth Ambassadors have been sharing information about Taiwan with local people and making new friends in Palau, they said, adding that the exchanges had been natural and uncomplicated.
“If some people want to use fear to stop others from getting close to Taiwan, what we can do is keep going abroad and keep making friends,” they said.
