The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday thanked Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr for voicing his nation’s support for maintaining diplomatic relations with Taiwan, despite pressure from China.
“If you want to have relations with Palau, you’re welcome, but you cannot tell us that we cannot have relations with Taiwan,” Whipps told Nikkei Asia on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum after saying that his nation has been “under a lot of pressure” from Beijing.
Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) told a news briefing in Taipei that Taiwan sincerely thanks Whipps for his unwavering support of the country in the face of pressure from China and that the ministry would continue to enhance bilateral ties with the Pacific state.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Palau in 1999, the two countries have conducted numerous mutually beneficial exchanges in agriculture, fisheries, education and infrastructure, she said.
“Taiwan and Palau will go into the future hand-in-hand as we deepen bilateral ties across all domains,” she said.
Taipei is committed to facilitating the long-term development of its diplomatic allies, and has established initiatives to boost the agricultural and medical capabilities of the member states of the Pacific Islands Forum, she said.
Taiwan would continue to assist Pacific island countries with aid programs targeting educational scholarships, humanitarian issues, human capital development and climate change, she said.
China continues to expand its sphere of influence in the Pacific at the expense of the national sovereignty of others, Ou said, citing the inking of a Sino-Solomons security framework in April and Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi’s (王毅) tour of the region the following month.
Wang’s trip was intended to promote the China-Pacific Island Countries Common Development Vision and its five-year economic plan for the region, she said.
Additionally, the ministry is aware that Beijing exerted pressure on Tuvalu and Fiji to stop Taiwan from taking part in this year’s UN Ocean Conference, she said.
China’s meddling would achieve nothing and only alienate it from countries in the region, she said.
Asked about US Vice President Kamala Harris’ pledge on Tuesday that Washington would boost relations with and assistance for the Pacific islands, Ou said the ministry lauds the US government’s emphasis on bolstering the security of the Indo-Pacific region.
Source: Taipei Times - 2022/07/15
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