Taiwanese officials say reports of Tuvalu’s diplomatic switch from Taipei to Beijing are based on rumors and Chinese manipulation. The comments are coming in response to a report quoting Tuvalu Finance Minister Seve Paeniu on Wednesday. In the report, Paeniu says that Tuvalu’s diplomatic relationship with Taiwan and China will be “reviewed” after the small island nation’s parliamentary elections on Friday. Paeniu is himself a candidate to become the island’s prime minister.
Speculation that Tuvalu may switch diplomatic relations to China comes at a time of numerous political changes in the region. On January 13, Taiwan elected sitting Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) to be the next president. Two days later, the small Pacific island nation of Nauru announced it was switching its diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China. Since Nauru’s switch, many have looked upon another of Taiwan’s Pacific island allies, Tuvalu, for signs of another diplomatic defection. Such a change would present Taiwan with the loss of two diplomatic allies in a single month, leaving it with only 11 countries with which it maintains official diplomatic relations.
Taiwan’s Ambassador to Tuvalu Andrew Lin (林東亨) said that claims of unstable relations between Taiwan and Tuvalu are intentionally manipulated rumors. He says that he expects that friendly relations between Taiwan and the new government in Tuvalu will continue well into the future. He says that Tuvalu’s current prime minister, Kausea Natano, immediately sent a letter to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) upon learning of Nauru’s diplomatic switch. The purpose of the letter, Lin says, was to reassure Tsai that Taiwan-Tuvalu relations would remain stable.
Natano could be replaced as prime minister after Friday’s election.
Taiwan Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Jeff Liu (劉永健) on Thursday said that while he wishes Tuvalu a smooth election, it is unfortunate that some parliamentarians have deliberately expressed unfriendly opinions about Taiwan ahead of the vote. He says that China has expressly aimed to poach Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in order to suppress a democratic Taiwan. He says that China is now once again taking advantage of the Tuvalu election to manipulate issues and influence particular candidates. Liu adds that this is a form of cognitive warfare that confuses international opinion.
President-elect Lai Ching-te also commented on the recent diplomatic switch by Nauru while meeting with a Lithuanian parliamentary delegation on Thursday. Lai says that the Nauru switch further exposed the nature of China’s authoritarian expansion, destabilized the region, and challenged international order. However, Lai also aimed to strike a more reassuring tone. He reiterated that his most important goal as president will be to maintain the status quo of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and to continue building on the foundation laid by his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen. Lai says he will engage in dialogue with China on the premise of reciprocity and dignity, and promote exchanges to enhance the well-being of people on both sides of the Strait.