KOROR, Palau (Kyodo) — Taiwan has defended its participation in the annual Pacific Islands Forum being held in Palau this week, telling member states not to let China “impose” its position on smaller island nations after a Chinese envoy made an issue of its presence.
China’s special envoy for Pacific island affairs Qian Bo warned of “consequences” without elaborating after Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung attended the forum’s opening ceremony on Monday.
“What he stands for, basically, is a threat,” Chia-lung said of the Chinese diplomat in a press conference on Tuesday. Chia-lung said Taiwan has attended the forum for over 30 years, and there is “no sense” for development partners like itself to be excluded.
China, which sees Taiwan as its territory to be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary, has been seeking the exclusion of the democratically ruled island from the forum.
Taiwan maintains diplomatic ties with only Palau and two other countries in the 18-member forum, also involving New Zealand, Australia, and Pacific island states, after other countries shifted diplomatic relations to Beijing.
Taiwan is not a dialogue partner of the forum like China, Japan and the United States, but it is a formal development partner, authorized by members of the framework.
Chia-lung said his country has contributed in “substantive ways” to the forum’s capacity-building and development and expressed optimism about Taiwan’s participation when New Zealand hosts the forum next year, despite not having formal diplomatic ties with Wellington.
Chia-lung said Taiwan is strengthening its relations with ally countries. As for the forum, he said that only member states should make decisions, adding, “We should not be making compromises just because of China’s bullying.”
