PRAISE:
‘Taiwan is a reliable, like-minded and democratic partner that contributes significantly to prosperity … across the Pacific,’ the US Department of State said
-
By Su Yong-yao / Staff reporter, with CNA
The US backed Taiwan’s continued participation in the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) as Taiwan and associated countries sent senior delegations to the summit this week.
The 55th PIF Leaders Meeting is being held from today to Friday in Koror, Palau, with presidents and high-level officials from Pacific nations including the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, New Zealand, Australia and Fiji expected to attend.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) is leading a delegation to Palau, which maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan, from Thursday last week to Thursday this week to attend events related to the leaders’ meeting and hold sideline talks.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
He is representing Taiwan at the opening ceremony of the PIF Leaders Meeting and is to attend the Taiwan/ROC-Pacific Islands Forum Countries Leadership Dialogue to engage in discussions with delegations from Taiwan’s Pacific allies and associated countries.
The PIF Leaders Meeting last year was hosted by the Solomon Islands, which blocked partner countries including Taiwan, China and the US from attending, saying the forum was reviewing its partnership arrangements.
As Palau hosts this year’s event, associated countries are sending senior delegations to attend, and Taipei, in addition to fully supporting Palau in organizing the event, has sent the delegation led by Lin.
The delegation includes representatives from the Asia Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce, the Pan-Shih Council, and industry leaders from Taiwan’s energy, technology, food, construction and organic agriculture sectors to join the exchange activities.
A US Department of State spokesperson in an e-mail on Friday said “[the US] strongly supports Taiwan’s continued participation in the Pacific Islands Forum, where it has been a development partner for over three decades.”
“Taiwan is a reliable, like-minded and democratic partner that contributes significantly to prosperity and economic development across the Pacific,” the spokesperson said.
They said that US President Donald Trump’s administration is focused on the importance of its Pacific island friends and partners, adding that US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau looks forward to participating in the forum during his third trip to the region.
Landau is traveling to Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Solomon Islands and Kiribati from tomorrow to Friday next week, the US Department of State said in a news release.
The theme for this year’s PIF Leaders Meeting is “B.E.L.A.U. — Building Economies: Life. Action. Unity.”
Separately, PIF leaders this month did not issue a joint statement protesting China’s ballistic missile test into the Pacific Ocean last month, as Nauru and Kiribati, which have close ties to Beijing, blocked it.
Kiribati President Taneti Maamau pulled out of attending the meeting this year and is sending his minister of foreign affairs and immigration, stoking concerns that the event is going to be hampered by geopolitical issues.
The PIF has 18 member countries, including Palau, the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu, three of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies.
Taiwan has participated in the PIF as a “development partner” since 1993 under the name “Taiwan/Republic of China,” and has continued to cooperate and engage with PIF member countries.
China has continuously tried to obstruct Taiwan’s participation.
The Chinese government appointed Special Envoy for Pacific Island Countries Affairs Qian Bo (錢波), who last served as China’s ambassador to Fiji, to lead China’s delegation to the event this year, foreign media reports said.
Earlier this month, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs attempted to put pressure on the PIF Secretariat, demanding that it cleave to the so-called “one China principle” and oppose Taiwan’s participation.
