A senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs official yesterday congratulated the Solomon Islands, a former diplomatic ally of Taiwan, on its election of a new prime minister last week.
The government is open to exploring any possibility of future cooperation with the ex-ally, as it is with any Pacific country it does not have official diplomatic ties with, Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Director-General Peter Lan (藍夏禮) said.
Lan declined to answer directly when asked whether it is possible Taiwan could explore closer relations or even re-establish official ties with the Solomon Islands after it picked former Solomon Islands minister of foreign affairs Jeremiah Manele as its new prime minister, who pledged to stick with Beijing.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
“We do not rule out any possibility [for closer relations with the Solomon Islands] when the time is ripe,” Lan said without elaborating during a ministry press event.
Manele assumed office on Thursday last week, filling the vacancy left by former Solomon Islands prime minister Manasseh Sogavare, after defeating opposition leader Matthew Wale in a 31-18 vote in the newly elected 50-seat parliament late last month.
Under the Sogavare administration, in which Manele served as foreign minister, the Pacific nation switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China soon after his election in 2019.
Ministry spokesman Jeff Liu (劉永健) said in February that Taiwan welcomes any chance to elevate its international status and expand its global presence, when asked to comment on the remarks by the Solomon Islands opposition leader.
Taiwan “will not set any preconditions for establishing relations with a foreign country,” Liu said at the time.
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