Visa refusal sparks fresh concerns Solomon Islands may block Taipei from Pacific forum

Australia Broadcast Center

2 days ago

The Solomon Islands government blocked a group of Taiwanese officials from entering the Pacific country earlier this year, stirring fresh concerns in Taipei that it might be locked out of a key regional meeting in Honiara later this year.
Solomon Islands will host the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in September, and signalled last year that it might break with a long running precedent and refuse visas to Taiwanese officials who want to meet with their three remaining Pacific diplomatic allies on the sidelines.
Both Australian and Pacific officials insist that the Solomon Islands government has given them private assurances this year that it will not take that step.
But the ABC has been told that when a small group of officials from Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs applied to enter Solomon Islands in March — largely to begin planning the logistics for its PIF delegation — their visa applications were rejected.
Australian government sources have said Solomon Islands has since reassured them again that Taiwan's representatives will not be blocked in September, but that this directive was still "working its way through the system", suggesting the decision was an error.
A spokesperson from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) told the ABC it was "working closely" with Solomon Islands on preparations for the leaders meeting, "as we do with every host".
"There has been no change to arrangements regarding Taiwan's engagement with the Pacific Islands Forum, which have been in place since agreed by leaders in 1992," they said.
"The (meeting) is an opportunity for all Forum members to come together to ensure our region is well placed to pursue our shared interests, deepen regional cooperation and strengthen PIF unity."
One Pacific island government source also told the ABC that the Forum Secretariat and Pacific leaders were confident Taiwan would be able to participate in the Honiara meeting without any issues.
But the March incident has still stirred anxiety in Taipei, which has been fighting a losing battle with Beijing to maintain diplomatic allies in the Pacific, and which fears China is succeeding in its efforts to marginalise it in the region.
Solomon Islands has cut off all official contact with Taiwan in the wake of its decision to switch diplomatic ties to Beijing in 2019, and last year threw its weight behind China's declaration that it will "reunify" the self-ruled island with the mainland.
Solomon Islands last year also backed Beijing's push to strip Taiwan of its status as a development partner for the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).
That frustrated leaders from the three Pacific nations which retain diplomatic ties with Taiwan, with Palau's President Surangel Whipps even warning that if Taiwan is locked out it could ignite a dispute like the "PIF split" which plunged the organisation into chaos in 2021.
Mr Whipps said earlier this week that he had heard Taiwan was having "some difficulty gaining access" to the meeting, and stressed that it was critical Palau be able to hold meetings with its diplomatic partner in Honiara.
Solomon Islands has not yet explained why the Taiwanese officials were refused visas in March.
The Director of Immigration in Solomon Islands, Chris Akosawa, pointed out that Solomon Islands has recently tightened entry restrictions on Taiwan passport holders, but referred the ABC to the Solomon Islands Foreign Ministry for comment.
The ABC sent questions to the Foreign Ministry, but didn't receive a response.
So far, Solomon Islands has not given any public assurances that Taiwan will be able to attend the leaders meeting.
In May, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele issued a forceful statement reaffirming his government's commitment to the One China Policy and ordering officials "not to engage in any official capacity with representatives or entities associated with 'Taiwan', China".
"This includes official visits, communications, commitments, or participation in events involving 'Taiwan', China," he said.
On Monday Mr Manele also declined to say whether his government had made a final decision on Taiwan's participation, although he said he was "working very closely with the Forum Secretariat in terms of these arrangements".
"We are fully aware of that situation. So we are looking into that, it's a regional meeting and of course countries also have their national interest as well," he said.
A second Pacific island government source said Mr Manele's acknowledgement that the PIF leaders meeting is a "regional" gathering was a good sign that "commonsense would prevail" and that Solomon Islands wouldn't upset the status quo.
Invitations to PIF leaders and dialogue partners are expected to be issued shortly.
Analysts warn that if Taiwan is excluded it would undermine the authority of the PIF Secretariat and set a dangerous precedent which could undermine Pacific unity and see further splintering — particularly with Palau due to host the leaders meeting next year.
A third Pacific government source said it also was not clear if the United States would attend the meeting as a dialogue partner if Taiwan was excluded.
A spokesperson for Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on its officials being denied entry but pointed to a 1992 communique endorsed by all PIF leaders which specifically says Taiwan should be able to hold a meeting with Pacific nations "at the same venue as the Forum".
"Taiwan will continue to broaden collaboration with the PIF, diplomatic allies in the Pacific, and other like-minded countries, especially in such areas as climate change, food security, clean energy, and talent cultivation, jointly making contributions to the peace, stability, development, and prosperity of the Pacific region."
Blake Johnson from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said while it wasn't yet clear what Solomon Islands would do, it "may be more willing to upset the status quo than people expect".
He also said excluding Taiwan from the meeting "certainly could cause fractures within the PIF".
"Without the PIF and other regional institutions functioning properly, some Pacific nations will find it more difficult to access support from and participate in valuable initiatives from policing to climate change adaptation funding."