The 53rd Pacific Islander’s Forum (PIF) took place in Tokyo from Aug. 26 to 30. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) infiltrated the forum through its proxy, the Solomon Islands, in an attempt to remove Taiwan as an observing member and “development partner.”
Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — the Marshall Islands, Palau and Tuvalu — jointly pushed back and stopped the motion. Despite this, the CCP still succeeded in manipulating Nauruan President and PIF Secretary-General Baron Waqa into cutting all references to Taiwan from the closing ceremony report. The CCP is intent on creating a future in which Taiwan is never mentioned.
From the East China Sea to the Taiwan Strait to the South China Sea, the CCP continues to bolster its foreign diplomacy strategies. However, the CCP’s “wolf warrior diplomacy” is sure to transform it into a pariah and troublemaker in the international community.
During COVID-19, Taiwan demonstrated the capabilities of its democratic governance and contributed to the global community, which allowed an ever-increasing number of countries to acknowledge its national values. Meanwhile, the CCP has responded by going out of its way to use money to threaten and subdue the PIF secretary-general into deleting anything written about Taiwan.
In the face of CCP pressure, Taiwan’s government should adopt a dynamic international cooperation strategy.
First, Taiwan should work closely with other democracies, including the US, Japan and Australia, through the Global Cooperation and Training Framework to provide aid to Pacific Island nations that are experiencing economic and climate change challenges.
Second, the government should look for other opportunities for international collaboration, such as the Australia-led Pacific Policing Initiative, and join the PIF’s “2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent” to help bring peace and prosperity to the Pacific Island nations.
In response to the CCP’s provocations, Taiwan should resolutely safeguard its own status and international participation. Not only does the nation need to seek support from democratic partner countries such as the US, Japan and those in Europe, it must also actively develop multilevel cooperation with Australia and other regional powerhouses, and enhance its national defense and diplomacy strategies to guarantee Taiwan’s long-term survival and influence in the PIF.
Gong Lin-dong is a research fellow who focuses on the Chinese Communist Party.
Translated by Tim Smith
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