China warns of consequences for Taiwan after Taipei envoys attend Pacific leaders summit
China warned of “consequences” for Taiwan after officials from Beijing and Taipei attended a ceremonial event at a Pacific leaders summit, where major powers already had been urged to restrain from turning a meeting of mostly small island countries into a geopolitical sideshow.
The 18 member states and territories of the Pacific Islands Forum, which opened its annual summit in Palau’s largest city, Koror, on Monday, do not include China, the United States or Taiwan. However, battles for influence over the lucrative oceans and strategically important locations of the forum’s members this week threatened, as they have before, to overshadow its summit. Some theatre was expected at this year’s event because the host country, a western Pacific island nation next to the Philippines that has close ties to the US, is among the 11 countries and the Vatican that recognise Taiwan, which Beijing says is a part of China.
Several Pacific leaders didn’t attend this year’s event. While some absences were due to ill health or politics at home and signalled in advance, analysts speculated others might be missing due to pressure from Beijing.
Ahead of the summit, Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr hosted joint events with Taiwan’s representative, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung, and at the opening ceremony placed the envoys from Beijing and Taipei in the same row, although they were in separate blocks of seats.
