Nation left with 27 friends after Nauru defection

As of 11pm local time in Nauru, Namaduk and Nauru's finance minister, Godfrey Thoma, were still gathering at Taipei's embassy in the tiny pacific state, trying to persuade Harris to change his mind, government sources said.

"We have to watch closely whether Harris will fly to Beijing, or he whether he'll go to Malaysia to receive [medical] treatment," the insider said.

Nauru government officials were not available yesterday for comment.

After being contacted by Taipei's representative Kuo Sheng-ming (郭聖明) in Nauru yesterday, Namaduk sent Harris a letter expressing the Cabinet's reservations about China's move to attach conditions -- namely severing ties with Taipei -- to its offer of the cash assistance and help paying back debt.

"Any country that wishes to forge friendly relations with Nauru must do so without any conditions attached to the friendship. To ask for such would seriously undermine Nauru's sovereignty," the letter stated.