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Palau: Taiwan will attend this month’s Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting in Palau, after being excluded from last year’s gathering following objections from China.
The forum said Taiwan remains an important development partner for Pacific island nations, although it is not an official dialogue partner. Palau, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands, which maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan, are among the countries supporting its participation.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes its participation in international organisations. Several Pacific nations, including Nauru, Kiribati and the Solomon Islands, have switched diplomatic ties from Taiwan to Beijing in recent years.
The return comes after the Solomon Islands, which hosted last year’s meeting, prevented Taiwan from attending and excluded all external partners from the event.
The Pacific leaders also discussed China’s recent missile test in the region but failed to agree on a joint statement. They are also seeking greater international support for a UN climate event in Tuvalu, which faces a growing threat from rising sea levels.
