China Warns Over Taiwan’s Pacific Islands Forum Presence

China has raised strong objections to Taiwan’s participation in the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau, warning of unspecified “consequences” as tensions over Beijing’s influence in the Pacific take center stage at the regional summit.

Qian Bo, China’s special envoy for Pacific island affairs, criticized Taiwan’s attendance at Monday’s opening ceremony, calling its presence inappropriate. “There will always be consequences,” Qian told reporters, while insisting his remarks were not intended as a threat.

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes Taipei’s participation in international organizations and diplomatic events.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pushed back against Beijing’s criticism, saying decisions about the gathering belong to the Pacific Islands Forum itself.

“The Pacific Islands Forum determines what happens here, not any other country,” Albanese said Tuesday. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters similarly stressed that the regional organization does not take instructions from outside nations.

Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung attended meetings and side events around the summit. Taiwan is recognized by the forum as a development partner rather than a formal dialogue partner.

“Taiwan is honoured to serve as a partner in the Pacific,” Lin said, pledging to work with regional countries toward greater prosperity and peace.

Palau is one of only three Pacific Island nations that maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, alongside Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands. China has steadily persuaded other countries in the region to switch diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.

The dispute comes amid intensifying competition for influence in the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand and the United States have expanded security, infrastructure and development partnerships with Pacific nations as China strengthens its regional presence.

In another sign of that strategic push, New Zealand and the U.S. announced Tuesday that they would jointly finance a major upgrade of a World War Two-era port on a Cook Islands atoll.

The Pacific Islands Forum has 18 members, including Australia, New Zealand and Pacific island nations. Leaders from Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Kiribati did not attend this year’s gathering, with ministers representing their governments instead.