Taiwan criticizes China’s ‘wolf warrior’ tactics at Pacific forum | Taiwan News

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) criticized China’s “wolf warrior” diplomacy at the Pacific Islands Forum on Friday.

Lin said Beijing’s behavior during the 55th Pacific Islands Forum summit in Palau was “offensive,” after China warned there would be “consequences” for allowing Taiwan to participate, per Liberty Times. He said the forum’s 18 member states are its decision-making core, while China and Taiwan participate as invited partners.

In a Radio France Internationale video, Lin said: “China’s wolf warrior diplomacy is actually very likely to undermine the unity of the Pacific, and it is very offensive and disgusting. In fact, these island nations in the Pacific are composed of 18 member states, and they are the core of decision-making.”

Taiwan has been included in Pacific Islands Forum joint communiques since 1993, and Lin said he was not the first Taiwanese foreign minister to attend the gathering. He accused China of acting against the host country’s wishes and described its declaration of Palau as an unsafe travel destination as “absurd.”

China’s warning of “consequences” drew pushback from Pacific leaders, with former US Ambassador to Palau John Hennessey-Niland saying China’s attempt to influence whom the forum invited and what it discussed “backfired,” per Nikkei Asia. Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. reaffirmed Taiwan’s status as a development partner and said it would continue participating in the forum.

Lin said China’s threats were accompanied by actions, such as a surprise July launch of a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile that overflew several Pacific nations before splashing down in the exclusive economic zones of Kiribati and Tuvalu. Australia, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Palau, and other countries raised concerns that China provided no prior notice of the test.

Seventeen of the forum’s 18 members supported language expressing concern over the test and calling on countries conducting ICBM tests to provide at least 24 hours’ advance notice, with Naoero, the sole dissenter, Nikkei Asia reported.  

Lin also confirmed reports that Chinese operatives and espionage activity were observed around the summit venue, according to Liberty Times. He thanked the Palauan government for strengthening security and accused Beijing of infringing on the sovereignty and human rights of other countries.

He criticized China’s Belt and Road Initiative and what he described as its use of “elite capture,” saying Beijing had left countries facing financial difficulties. He said that although a small number of forum members had attempted to block consensus on the declaration, China’s increasingly domineering behavior could strengthen international support for Taiwan.

Taiwan, Lin said, would continue promoting its Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project, citing extensive talks with other countries during the summit, Liberty Times reported. He said Taiwan was also among the first to support a Pacific resilience fund aimed at helping small nations address climate change, digital resilience, and food security.

The term “wolf warrior” refers to a Chinese propaganda movie that depicts the People’s Liberation Army fighting foreign mercenaries in a fictional African country. The term has been adopted by international analysts to describe a Chinese diplomatic tactic of aggressively lashing out at critics online and in person.