Latest news with #ChinaTaiwan
CNA
08-08-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Solomon Islands bars China and Taiwan from top Pacific summit
WASHINGTON: Pacific nation Solomon Islands has said it would exclude non-member nations from a key regional summit in September, a group that includes China, Taiwan and the United States. Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele said earlier this week he would defer a meeting of the Pacific Island Forum's non-member "dialogue partners". Manele's decision heads off a brewing diplomatic squabble over the presence of Taiwanese diplomats at this year's forum in Solomon Islands' capital Honiara. There were fears that China - which counts Solomon Islands among its closest partners in the Pacific - would use its muscle to see Taiwan excluded. Solomon Islands recognised Taiwan until 2019, when it switched allegiance to China. Taiwan and other dialogue partners have historically been allowed to meet with Pacific nations on the sidelines of the forum, known as PIF. "We know this issue is all about China and Taiwan," opposition politician Peter Kenilorea Jr told parliament earlier this week. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said it should be welcomed to this year's meeting of regional leaders. "Taiwan has adhered to the 'Pacific Way' spirit of diversity and inclusiveness shared by all PIF member countries in our participation in Pacific affairs," it said in a statement. "Taiwan believes that its participation can sustainably expand cooperation with the PIF, allies in the Pacific, and like-minded countries, and jointly make positive contributions to peace, stability, regional development, and prosperity in the Pacific region." The regional summit is expected to be a key topic of discussion when the region's top diplomats meet in Fiji's capital, Suva, next week. The forum will be held in Honiara from Sep 8 to 12.
Reuters
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Solomon Islands blocks US, China, Taiwan from Pacific's top political meet
SYDNEY, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has said that 21 donor countries, including the United States and China, will not be invited to the region's top political meeting, a move that follows pressure from Beijing to exclude Taiwan. China's biggest security ally in the Pacific Islands, the Solomon Islands is hosting the annual meeting of the 18-member bloc's forum in September. Three island states have diplomatic ties with Taiwan and not China, and they had expressed concern Taiwanese officials would be blocked from entering the country. Solomon Islands switched ties from Taiwan to China in 2019, and removed Taiwan from a list of countries eligible for concessional entry in April. Beijing, which has deepened its ties in the Pacific, claims Taiwan as its own territory. Manele told the Solomon Islands parliament on Wednesday his cabinet had decided no dialogue partners would be invited to this year's event, because a review of each country's relationship with the Pacific had not been completed. He said he had informed the forum's 18 leaders of the decision this week. The World Bank, Asia Development Bank and civil society groups would attend, he added. Opposition party politician Peter Kenilorea Jr, chairman of the parliament's foreign relations committee, said the decision was "a massive missed opportunity" for Pacific Island countries to meet global donors. "We know this issue is all about China and Taiwan," he told parliament. After forum leaders were told of the decision, Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine criticised interference in the forum's affairs in a speech to the Taiwan ally's parliament. China had "interfered" at last year's meeting in Tonga to change the language of the leaders' communique, Heine said. References to Taiwan were removed after Chinese diplomats complained. The Pacific Islands is among the world's most aid-reliant regions, and on the frontline of rising sea levels. The region has also been a focus of increasing security competition between the United States and China. While U.S. allies Australia and New Zealand are the largest forum members, neither Beijing nor Washington are part of the group. Kenilorea Jr said he feared that China, which has a strong presence in Solomon Islands, will hold bilateral meetings with Pacific leaders on the margins of the forum regardless. "This could be seen by some PIF leaders as a betrayal of the collective and could risk an even bigger rift of the group," he said in comments to Reuters. China's embassy did not respond to a request for comment. The forum's foreign ministers will meet in Fiji next week.
NHK
16-07-2025
- NHK
Live eel imports peak at Narita Airport in Japan
Eel imports are at their peak at Narita Airport, near Tokyo, before demand rises in Japan. July 19 and 31 mark the Day of the Ox in midsummer this year. People in Japan traditionally eat eel on those days to maintain their stamina during the summer heat. Aircraft carrying more than 2 tons of eel in total arrived at the airport from China and Taiwan on Wednesday. Customs officials took out live eels from containers to check whether they match details on their documents. The officials said that live eels are imported by air to keep their freshness, and about 6,500 tons, or around 80 percent of the country's live eel imports, arrived through Narita Airport last year. An importer says prices remain high as in the previous year due to a poor catch of glass eels over the past several years.
The Independent
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Nato chief warns Russia will help China invade Taiwan by distracting Europe
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could attack Nato territory to distract Europe, enabling China to invade Taiwan. Mr Rutte suggested this scenario is highly probable and necessitates strong deterrence against both Beijing and Moscow. He said deterrence strategies include a robust Nato and enhanced cooperation with the Indo-Pacific region. Mr Rutte highlighted that Donald Trump advocates for increased collaboration with the Indo-Pacific on defence and innovation. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, with president Xi Jinping having threatened to use force to "reunite" the island with the mainland.
NHK
23-05-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Lessons from Ukraine invasion for Beijing and Taiwan
China and Taiwan have each learned from Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. NHK World's Sekiya Satoshi spoke with two defense experts about how Beijing and Taipei have adjusted their strategies.
