Palau president wants Taiwan to get a fair go at PIF
Photo:
Supplied/ Office of the President
Palau's president wants to see Taiwan given full access at this year's Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders' meeting.
It was great to see 17 out of 18 leaders in Tonga for last year's meeting, Surangel Whipps Jr said - a sense of unity he wants to continue.
"That's the record since we've gotten back together. Let's ensure that that continues, because that's what we need to see."
He said he has heard that "there's been some difficulty in Taiwan gaining access".
Whipps asked the PIF team to make sure they are doing all that it's responsible to do, to make sure the forum conference is a success, and everybody's there that's supposed to be able to participate.
A Solomon Islands Government spokesperson said at this stage the government is not in a position to comment on participation or related arrangements for the PIF Leaders' Summit.
They pointed out that the registration process for the summit has not yet opened and formal invitations will be issued in due course.
"As host, Solomon Islands continues to work closely with the Forum Secretariat and Forum Member countries on all preparations."
Whipps has just arrived back from a state visit to Taiwan, where its foreign minister Lin Chia-lung expressed his country's appreciation for Palau's consistent support on the international stage.
Three Forum members - Tuvalu, Palau and Marshall Islands - have diplomatic ties with Taiwan and not China.
Taiwan has been a development partner since 1992. China has been a dialogue partner of the PIF since 1990.
Last year,
RNZ Pacific captured
China's representative to the meeting in Tonga asking Cook Islands prime minister Mark Brown to change the final communique which recognised Taiwan and China separately.
Earlier this month, Solomon Islands' prime minister Jeremiah Manele warned government workers against engaging with "Taiwan". In a statement, Jeremiah Manele reaffirmed his government's commitment to the One-China Policy.
The
ABC
reported a newly appointed government minister was pressured by China to quit an international group critical of its policies.
Beijing's Embassy in Honiara said the allegations are baseless.
It said China will never interfere in Solomon Islands internal affairs and also firmly oppose any other countries' interference in Solomon Islands' internal affairs.
The president of Kiribati, Taneti Maamau, and top diplomats from Niue, Tonga, Nauru, Micronesia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, Fiji and Samoa have been in China for a two-day meeting.
In a joint statement, published to the website of China's foreign affairs ministry, the parties said: "All parties recognize that there is but one China in the world, that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.
"China firmly opposes 'Taiwan independence' in all forms and commits to realizing national reunification, which has gained wide understanding and support at the meeting.
"China firmly supports Pacific Island countries in upholding their sovereignty and independence."
Meanwhile, a regional architecture review (RRA) has entered its final stage.
It's the Pacific Islands Forum leaders' response to the increasing interest from a growing number of Forum dialogue partners wanting a seat - and a say - at the regional decision-making table.
Palau's president has made it clear to the RRA committee that, "it is important that all our partners are able to be present at PIF".
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