The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), a major political gathering of nations in the region, concluded on Friday, with leaders reaffirming Taiwan’s involvement in its events as a “development partner.”
In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement yesterday that it “welcomed” the communique issued by PIF members at the end of the five-day summit in the Solomon Islands, which reaffirmed the forum’s 1992 decision on Taiwan’s role in the annual meeting.
The ministry thanked the PIF leaders “for expressing their support for Taiwan’s continued participation in PIF affairs as a development partner,” the statement said.
Photo: EPA-EFE
At a news conference on Friday, PIF Secretary-General Baron Waqa said that the Pacific island leaders had discussed the issue at the summit and would maintain the “status quo.”
“There’s nothing changed ... the 1992 decision is still in place,” Waqa said.
He declined to provide further details.
Taiwan’s status as a development partner was established by the 1992 PIF leaders’ communique and the country has participated in PIF mechanisms since 1993, the ministry said.
The events include the Taiwan/Republic of China-Forum Countries Dialogue and events usually held alongside the annual summit.
The PIF’s Forum Leaders Meeting from Monday to Friday in Honiara was attended only by the bloc’s 18 member states, including Australia and New Zealand.
Unlike in previous years, partner countries such as Taiwan, China and the US did not participate after the Solomon Islands, as the host nation, barred their attendance, citing an ongoing review of the forum’s partnership arrangements.
However, media reports since last year have suggested that the Solomon Islands, which in 2019 announced its diplomatic recognition of China, has been seeking to block Taiwan’s participation under pressure from Beijing.
China has poached several of Taiwan’s allies in the Pacific as part of its efforts to expand its presence in the region and isolate Taiwan from the international community.
Three PIF members — the Marshall Islands, Palau and Tuvalu — have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
TRADE-OFF: Beijing seeks to trade a bowl of tempura for a Chinese delicacy, an official said, while another said its promises were attempts to interfere in the polls The government must carefully consider the national security implications of building a bridge connecting Kinmen County and Xiamen, China, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday. PCC Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德), who is also a minister without portfolio, made the remarks in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked about China’s proposal of new infrastructure projects to further connect Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties with Xiamen. China unveiled the bridge plan, along with nine other policies for Taiwan, on Sunday, the last day of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) visit
RSS