Taiwan’s presence at Pacific forum draws China warning of 'consequences'

China warned of unspecified “consequences” after Taiwan attended the opening ceremony of the annual Pacific Islands Forum in Palau on Monday, saying Beijing had serious concerns about the democratically governed island’s presence at the regional gathering.

The warning added a new layer of tension to a forum intended to showcase unity among Pacific nations, with China-Taiwan rivalry already featuring prominently in discussions.

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“There will always be consequences,” Qian Bo, China’s special envoy for Pacific island affairs, told reporters after the opening ceremony. “It's not a threat,” he said, without specifying what those consequences would be.

“This is objected to by all, so this should not have happened. We think it's very inappropriate to do so,” Qian said.

Palau, an archipelago of more than 500 islands, maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan. China regards Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes its participation in international organisations and events where it is represented as a separate entity.

Australia, New Zealand push back

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected the suggestion that Beijing should have a say over who attends the forum.

“The Pacific Islands Forum determines what happens here, not any other country,” Albanese said when asked about Qian’s remarks.

“This is primarily a gathering of the Pacific family ... and I look forward to the engagement,” Albanese said on Tuesday.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters echoed that position, saying the forum does not take instructions from countries outside the group.

Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung, who was invited to meetings and side events held alongside the forum, defended Taipei’s participation.

“Taiwan is honoured to serve as a partner in the Pacific, continuing to stand with everyone and work together to make the Pacific more prosperous and peaceful,” Lin said on Monday.

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Taiwan is not a formal dialogue partner of the Pacific Islands Forum, unlike China, but holds development partner status. The United States, European Union, Britain, Canada, India and Japan are among the forum’s 21 dialogue partners.

Taiwan’s shrinking diplomatic footprint

China has steadily reduced the number of Pacific island nations that maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Only three remain: Palau, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands.

The 18-member Pacific Islands Forum includes 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 them instead.

For Australia and New Zealand, Beijing’s growing influence in the Pacific has become an increasingly important strategic concern.

China is Australia’s largest trading partner, but Canberra has expanded security and development ties with Pacific island nations as it seeks to counter Beijing’s influence and deter any permanent Chinese military presence in the region.

Australia, New Zealand and the United States have traditionally regarded the South Pacific as falling within their sphere of influence.

A new Pacific infrastructure push

The competition for influence was also evident during the summit as New Zealand and the United States announced plans to jointly fund a major upgrade of a World War Two-era port on an atoll in the Cook Islands.

The announcement, contained in a joint statement released on Tuesday, came as Pacific nations weigh competing offers of investment, infrastructure and security cooperation from major powers.