Author: TMC Palau

PACIFIC PARTNER: Lin Chia-lung said that he was ‘very happy’ to participate in the forum, adding Taiwan will continue to promote prosperity and peace in the region Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday thanked Palau for enabling him to make a rare appearance at a major annual political gathering of Pacific nations on Monday, despite Taiwan not being an official member of the bloc.“I am very happy to be able to participate in this year’s Pacific Islands Forum [PIF], and I have to give special thanks to the host country Palau for the arrangement,” the Ministry of Foreign…

KOROR, Palau — Australia said on Tuesday the Pacific bloc would decide for itself who attends its annual summit, after China raised objections to Taiwan’s presence on the sidelines. The 18-member Pacific Islands Forum is being hosted by Palau, which invited its diplomatic ally Taiwan to attend as an aid partner, along with China and other non-Pacific countries.China’s Pacific envoy Qian Bo told reporters on Monday there would be “consequences” for Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung’s presence in Palau. Beijing claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory.Chinese officials have also warned Pacific leaders and ministers not to attend side…

Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr has taken over the Pacific Islands Forum chairmanship with a clear message to the region’s powerful partners: the Pacific will decide its own direction.Opening the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting in Koror on Tuesday, Whipps said Pacific countries welcomed genuine partnerships but would not allow outside powers to set the region’s agenda.“Our partners are welcome to sail with us but they do not choose our destination,” he said. “The Pacific agenda must be driven by us, for us, and the Forum must remain the political home in which that agenda is shaped.”Palau has taken…

KOROR, Palau (AP) — China warned of “consequences” for Taiwan after officials from Beijing and Taipei attended a ceremonial event at a Pacific leaders summit, where major powers already had been urged to restrain from turning a meeting of mostly small island countries into a geopolitical sideshow. The 18 member states and territories of the Pacific Islands Forum, which opened its annual summit in Palau’s largest city Koror on Monday, do not include China, the United States or Taiwan. However, battles for influence over the lucrative oceans and strategically important locations of the forum’s members this week threatened, as they…

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KOROR, Palau (AP) — China warned of “consequences” for Taiwan after officials from Beijing and Taipei attended a ceremonial event at a Pacific leaders summit, where major powers already had been urged to restrain from turning a meeting of mostly small island countries into a geopolitical sideshow. The 18 member states and territories of the Pacific Islands Forum, which opened its annual summit in Palau’s largest city Koror on Monday, do not include China, the United States or Taiwan. However, battles for influence over the lucrative oceans and strategically important locations of the forum’s members this week threatened, as they…

By Elilai Rengiil KOROR, Palau — “Maybe we need to build our own alliance” to give Pacific airlines greater leverage, Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. said Monday as he called on smaller island states to consider forming a regional airline alliance to address high airfares and limited connections across the Pacific. Speaking at the Smaller […]The post Whipps calls for ‘One Pacific’ airline alliance to tackle high airfares appeared first on Island Times News. Source link

China warned Taiwan of “consequences” after officials from Beijing and Taipei attended a ceremonial event at the Pacific Islands Forum summit in Palau, adding to tensions around a meeting where leaders had already urged major powers not to turn the gathering into a geopolitical contest.The annual summit of the 18 member states and territories of the Pacific Islands Forum opened on Monday in Koror, Palau. China, the United States and Taiwan are not members of the forum, but competition for influence in the region’s oceans and strategically important locations again threatened to overshadow the meeting. Host President Surangel Whipps Jr…

International relationsChina’s envoy to Pacific warned of ‘consequences’ if Taiwan is included in regional gatheringTaiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung speaks to reporters on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Koror, Palau, on Sept. 1. (Photo by Sophie Mak)SOPHIE MAKSeptember 1, 2026 19:59 JSTKOROR, Palau — Taiwan’s foreign minister on Tuesday accused China of ruining “the whole atmosphere of the party” at a gathering of regional leaders, after Beijing made threats about the island democracy’s participation in the annual Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting. Source link

By Laurel Marewibuel KOROR, Palau (August 31, 2026) — Pacific Island nations must strengthen regional cooperation and make their security priorities clear to international partners as transnational organized crime becomes a growing threat across the region, Palau Minister of Justice Jennifer S. Olegeriil said. Olegeriil made the comments during a side event organized by the […]The post Pacific Nations Urged to Strengthen Response to Transnational Crime appeared first on Island Times News. Source link