The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) recently removed references to Taiwan from its final communique after the leaders' summit in Tonga. This change followed strong objections from China. China's special envoy to the Pacific, Qian Bo, criticised the inclusion of Taiwan in the original communique, calling it a "mistake" that needed correction. In response, Pacific leaders promptly removed the Taiwan reference from the document.
The revised communique was issued without the mention of Taiwan, and a PIF spokesperson clarified that the new version reflects the consensus-based decisions of all member states and does not alter any existing decisions. Despite Taiwan condemning China's intervention as "rude and unreasonable," the revision does not change Taiwan's status within the Forum, where it has been a development partner since 1993.
China's influence in the region remains substantial, with most Pacific Island nations maintaining diplomatic ties with Beijing rather than Taipei, largely due to China's economic and diplomatic leverage. This incident underscores the delicate diplomatic balance Pacific nations must maintain between China and Taiwan while preserving their own regional interests and stability.
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