Solomons blames Taipei for misunderstanding

"Instead there was an arrangement for Taiwan's deputy foreign minister [Wu Tzu-dan] (吳子丹) to meet ... Danny Philip in Brisbane, Australia. This attitude by Taiwan was seen by the Solomon Islands delegation as unprotocol (sic), hence the emergence of the diplomatic rift between the two countries," the statement continued.

The statement said such a "cloudy atmosphere" could only force Philip to abandon his original trip to Taipei and instead to explore the "one China" policy option -- apparently referring to Philip's trip to Hong Kong to meet Chinese officials.

"Philip met with a director-general from China's foreign ministry on Oct. 10 and Oct. 11 in Hong Kong, and that it was that meeting which was `unprotocol,'" Chen said.

Taiwan's former premier, Tang Fei (唐飛), announced his resignation on Oct. 3, not in early September as stated in the Solomons' press release.