Pacific Islands Forum Bows to Beijing’s Demand to Delete Reference to Taiwan

Leaders pose for a photo at the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, on Aug. 26, 2024. Ben Mckay/AAP Image via AP

For over three decades, the final communique from the Pacific Islands Forum’s (PIF) leader meeting has included a seemingly innocuous paragraph reaffirming a decision, originally made in 1992, to welcome Taiwan as a “development partner” in the region.

It was one of 76 paragraphs in this year’s missive, sitting amongst other topics from the contentious (New Caledonia) to the mundane (the date of the next meeting).

But then, as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone. Hours later, the communique reappeared on the Forum’s website, but with no mention of Taiwan, which was originally the subject of the 66th paragraph.

The paragraph that was deleted from the Pacific Islands leaders' communique at the insistence of Beijing. Screenshot/The Epoch Times

China is not a member of the Forum but—like the United States, the EU, and numerous other major countries—delegates attend some of the PIF events as “dialogue partners.”

Taiwan’s status as a “development partner” ranks it below that of Beijing, and that has prevented any public clash at previous forums.

But the recent election of Lai Ching-te as Taiwan’s president has increased tensions between the self-governed territory and the Chinese Communist Party, as Lai has adopted a more openly independent posture than his predecessors, saying recently that Taiwan wants to continue its free way of life and rejected any attempts at outside interference.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te puts on a cowboy hat given by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) during a meeting in Taipei, Taiwan, on May 27, 2024. Taiwan Presidential Office via AP

“We are no longer trying to retake the mainland. But we are also unwilling to be ruled by the communist party. We want to continue a life of democracy, freedom, human rights and rule of law. Right?” Lai told a crowd assembled on Aug. 23 to commemorate a key battle against Chinese forces in 1949.

Shortly after he returned to Taipei, Beijing responded by sending 27 military aircraft into the Taiwan Strait to conduct joint exercises with its navy warships in a sign that it is growing increasingly belligerent toward the island it claims is part of China.

At the Forum, Taiwan’s mention in the final communique was first raised as a concern by the Solomon Islands. It switched its diplomatic recognition to China in 2019 and has been pressuring other members to strip Taiwan of its “development partner” status.

However, the document initially appeared on the PIF website with the usual clause.

For the first time in more than 30 years, that became a deal-breaker for the Chinese delegation.

The CCP’s special envoy for the Pacific, Qian Bo, told reporters in Nuku'alofa that it was “a surprising mistake made by someone” and it “must be corrected.”