The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday called on Pacific island countries to heed China’s true purpose behind its aid, as Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) arrived in the Solomon Islands at the start of an eight-nation tour.
His visit came amid growing concerns about Beijing’s military and financial ambitions in the South Pacific region, after a draft document was leaked showing that he hoped to strike a sweeping agreement with 10 Pacific nations on everything from security to fisheries.
In Taipei, Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy spokesman Tsuei Ching-lin (崔靜麟) said that it would continue to pay close attention to Wang’s visit.
Photo: AFP
Since China launched its Belt and Road Initiative, countries such as Sri Lanka have been caught in a debt trap, and hit by major crises to their economies and social development, he said.
Tensions in the region have been heightened by Beijing’s ambition to expand its power through military strategies, a clear example of which is China signing a security deal with the Solomon Islands, he added.
The ministry called on countries in the region to recognize that China intends to expand its authoritarian power, Tsuei said, adding that only freedom and democracy can bring stability.
Taiwan has strong relationships with Pacific allies and is committed to continue working with like-minded countries to create a free, open, peaceful and prosperous Pacific region, he said.
In Honiara, Wang commented on reports about a leaked security agreement, which contained a provision that would allow Chinese naval deployments to the Solomon Islands.
“It is not imposed on anyone, nor is it targeted at any third party. There is no intention at all to establish a military base,” Wang told a news conference after meeting with Solomon Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeremiah Manele.
Australia’s former government, toppled in elections last week, had said that any move to create a Chinese military base would amount to crossing a “red line,” without specifying the consequences.
“China’s cooperation with Pacific island countries does not target any country, and should not be interfered or disrupted by any other country,” he said.
Canberra scrambled to counter Wang’s trip by sending Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Penny Wong (黃英賢) to Fiji to shore up support in the Pacific.
She had been on the job just five days following recent Australian elections and had just returned on Wednesday night from a meeting in Tokyo.
In Fiji, Wong said it was up to each island nation to decide what partnerships they formed and what agreements they signed, but urged them to consider the benefits of sticking with Australia.
“Australia will be a partner that doesn’t come with strings attached nor imposing unsustainable financial burdens,” Wong said. “We are a partner that won’t erode Pacific priorities or Pacific institutions.”
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
UKRAINE, NVIDIA: The US leader said the subject of Russia’s war had come up ‘very strongly,’ while Jenson Huang was hoping that the conversation was good Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump had differing takes following their meeting in Busan, South Korea, yesterday. Xi said that the two sides should complete follow-up work as soon as possible to deliver tangible results that would provide “peace of mind” to China, the US and the rest of the world, while Trump hailed the “great success” of the talks. The two discussed trade, including a deal to reduce tariffs slapped on China for its role in the fentanyl trade, as well as cooperation in ending the war in Ukraine, among other issues, but they did not mention
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi yesterday lavished US President Donald Trump with praise and vows of a “golden age” of ties on his visit to Tokyo, before inking a deal with Washington aimed at securing critical minerals. Takaichi — Japan’s first female prime minister — pulled out all the stops for Trump in her opening test on the international stage and even announced that she would nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize, the White House said. Trump has become increasingly focused on the Nobel since his return to power in January and claims to have ended several conflicts around the world,
GLOBAL PROJECT: Underseas cables ‘are the nervous system of democratic connectivity,’ which is under stress, Member of the European Parliament Rihards Kols said The government yesterday launched an initiative to promote global cooperation on improved security of undersea cables, following reported disruptions of such cables near Taiwan and around the world. The Management Initiative on International Undersea Cables aims to “bring together stakeholders, align standards, promote best practices and turn shared concerns into beneficial cooperation,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said at a seminar in Taipei. The project would be known as “RISK,” an acronym for risk mitigation, information sharing, systemic reform and knowledge building, he said at the seminar, titled “Taiwan-Europe Subsea Cable Security Cooperation Forum.” Taiwan sits at a vital junction on
RSS