China warned a top Pacific Islands diplomat to “avoid affecting the healthy and stable development of ties” on Tuesday, after he said Taiwan would attend an annual meeting of the regional bloc’s leaders.
The island was barred from the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting last year after protests from Beijing, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory.
Baron Waqa, the forum’s secretary-general, told reporters last Friday that Taipei would attend this year.
“China urges the Pacific Islands Forum secretary to strictly adhere to the one-China principle, properly handle Taiwan-related issues and avoid affecting the healthy and stable development of ties between China and the Forum,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said Tuesday in response to an earlier AFP question about the matter.
China opposes the self-governed island’s participation in international organisations and exchanges with other countries.
Forum members Nauru, Kiribati and Solomon Islands have all cut diplomatic ties with Taipei since 2019, with the latter blocking Taiwan from attending the meeting when it hosted last year.
That resulted in all external countries being disinvited to the meeting, despite the island states’ reliance on foreign aid and investment.
Palau, host of this year’s event from Aug 30 to Sept 4, is among Taiwan’s 12 remaining diplomatic partners.
“Taiwan is a very important development partner. It is not a dialogue partner, however it engages with members of our forum family,” Waqa told a news conference last week after ministers met in Fiji.
Along with Palau, forum members Tuvalu and Marshall Islands are also diplomatic partners of Taiwan.
