Taiwan has "prepared for the worst" regarding shaky ties with the Solomon Islands, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Hung-mao (
Danny Philip, the foreign minister of the Solomon Islands, was scheduled to arrive in Taipei last Friday, but failed to show up, triggering speculation that bilateral ties between the two countries may be hanging in the balance. It has been confirmed that Philip left Australia on Monday and DPP Legislator Parris Chang (張旭成) said Philip was currently visiting Beijing.
When asked if Philip was in Beijing, Tien said: "probably ... should be."
The country's ambassador to Taipei, Seth Gukuna, gave a vague answer regarding Philip's whereabouts. "All I can tell you as of now is that he is in that part of the region, but I am not sure whether he's in Hong Kong, Macao or Beijing," Gukuna told the Taipei Times.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao (
Earlier yesterday, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Sogavare called an urgent Cabinet meeting at which relations with Taiwan were reportedly discussed. He then told Taiwan officials during a reception for Taiwan's Double Ten celebrations that ties between the two countries remained unchanged, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) officials said.
When attending the Double Ten party at the Taipei Guest House, Gukuna admitted that it wasn't until late yesterday that he had received instructions from his government regarding ties between the two countries.
When asked if Philip's visit to Beijing was a prelude to the Solomon Islands' switch of diplomatic ties to China, Tien said the foreign ministry has considered such a possibility.
"We'll prepare for the worst, but it is still too early to speculate on relations between the two countries," Tien said.
"Everything is contingent upon subsequent developments," said Joseph Shih (
Chang offered two interpretations regarding the fact that the country's foreign minister is probably visiting Beijing while the prime minister claimed that ties between the two countries remained stable.
"Maybe the foreign minister and the prime minister hold conflicting views over the issue. Or, the two are simply playing a two-man show, with the hope of squeezing more financial aid out of Taiwan," Chang said.
Chang urged Taipei to cut diplomatic ties with the Solomon Islands "which is greedy and switches back between Taiwan and China seeking aid."
Chang said the Solomon Islands has sought US$150 million from Taiwan as the condition for continuing diplomatic ties, but the size of the aid was not accepted by the ministry. Both sides so far have failed to agree on the size of the financial aid. Beijing has offered to grant US$120 million to lure the country to drop Taipei and recognize Beijing, Chang added.
Tien said continued financial assistance to the war-torn state is likely, but it should not exceed what Taiwan can afford. "As a foreign minister, I am also responsible for watching over the government's purse," Tien said.
Ministry officials said Taiwan will not be "blackmailed" by the Solomon Islands if Beijing lures the South Pacific state into its fold with dollar diplomacy.
Sources from the Solomon Islands said the political situation was very much on the brink, with political tensions among rival factions that have simmered over the last two years now coming to a boil.
MISINFORMATION: The generated content tends to adopt China’s official stance, such as ‘Taiwan is currently governed by the Chinese central government,’ the NSB said Five China-developed artificial intelligence (AI) language models exhibit cybersecurity risks and content biases, an inspection conducted by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The five AI tools are: DeepSeek, Doubao (豆包), Yiyan (文心一言), Tongyi (通義千問) and Yuanbao (騰訊元寶), the bureau said, advising people to remain vigilant to protect personal data privacy and corporate business secrets. The NSB said it, in accordance with the National Intelligence Services Act (國家情報工作法), has reviewed international cybersecurity reports and intelligence, and coordinated with the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau and the National Police Agency’s Criminal Investigation Bureau to conduct an inspection of China-made AI language
BOOST IN CONFIDENCE: The sale sends a clear message of support for Taiwan and dispels rumors that US President Donald Trump ‘sold out’ the nation, an expert said The US government on Thursday announced a possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet parts, which was estimated to cost about US$330 million, in a move that an expert said “sends a clear message of support for Taiwan” amid fears that Washington might be wavering in its attitude toward Taipei. It was the first announcement of an arms sale to Taiwan since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House earlier this year. The proposed package includes non-standard components, spare and repair parts, consumables and accessories, as well repair and return support for the F-16, C-130 and Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft,
CHECKING BOUNDARIES: China wants to disrupt solidarity among democracies and test their red lines, but it is instead pushing nations to become more united, an expert said The US Department of State on Friday expressed deep concern over a Chinese public security agency’s investigation into Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) for “secession.” “China’s actions threaten free speech and erode norms that have underpinned the cross-strait ‘status quo’ for decades,” a US Department of State spokesperson said. The Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau late last month listed Shen as “wanted” and launched an investigation into alleged “secession-related” criminal activities, including his founding of the Kuma Academy, a civil defense organization that prepares people for an invasion by China. The spokesperson said that the US was “deeply concerned” about the bureau investigating Shen
DISPUTE: A Chinese official prompted a formal protest from Tokyo by saying that ‘the dirty head that sticks itself out must be cut off,’ after Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks Four armed China Coast Guard vessels yesterday morning sailed through disputed waters controlled by Japan, amid a diplomatic spat following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan. The four ships sailed around the Senkaku Islands — known as the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) to Taiwan, and which Taiwan and China also claim — on Saturday before entering Japanese waters yesterday and left, the Japan Coast Guard said. The China Coast Guard said in a statement that it carried out a “rights enforcement patrol” through the waters and that it was a lawful operation. As of the end of last month,
RSS