The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a U.S. Strategy in the Pacific Islands Region hearing on Thursday during which Taiwan was brought to the forefront. In the hearing focused on the rivalry between the United States and China in relevant regions, Senator Pete Ricketts said the State Department's understanding of the status of Taiwan's diplomatic relations was particularly concerning.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink stated in the meeting that the only remaining allies of the United States and Taiwan in the region are Tuvalu, Palau, and the Marshall Islands. He emphasized that the islands must work closely to ensure that the needs of the three countries are met and to deny China any room to maneuver.
Regarding Nauru's change of recognition from Taiwan to Beijing in January, Kritenbrink said that China offered economic incentives and misinterpreted the U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758, passed in 1971, that recognized the People's Republic of China as "the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations" and removed "the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek" to win over Nauru. He said that this approach was disappointing and added that the U.S. has sent messages to Nauru and Taiwan's three allies in the South Pacific warning that Beijing often makes promises but fails to fulfill them, which may lead to negative consequences.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Taiwan International Solidarity Act in July last year, which not only advocates that U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758 does not involve Taiwan, but is also committed to confronting China's attempts to distort matters related to Taiwan in international organizations.
To Ricketts’ concern of whether the U.S. is likely to shift South Pacific island countries that have diplomatic relations with China back to Taiwan, Kritenbrink responded that every country has the right to make its own decisions, but given Beijing's past record, countries are encouraged to maintain a cautious stance against China.