Photo: RNZ Pacific/ Lydia Lewis
The Pacific Islands Forum has submitted to China's demand to remove the mention of Taiwan from the final communique of the leaders' summit that concluded in Tonga this week.
Kiribati wants to see consequences for whoever is behind the Taiwan communique bungle, after Beijing's special envoy to the region cried foul at the inclusion of Taipei in the outcomes document.
On Friday, China's Ambassador to the Pacific, Qian Bo, was furious after the PIF Secretariat released the final communique which included a section in which Pacific leaders "reaffirmed" their relations with Taiwan.
Pacific Islands Forum bows to Chinese pressure over mention of Taiwan
Qian told journalists that affirming reference to Taiwan "must be a mistake" and "must be corrected", and soon after the document was taken down from the PIF website.
The moment Qian asks the PIF past chair and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown to remove the Taiwan reference has been caught on camera by RNZ Pacific.
"We'll remove it, I'll talk to you about it later," Brown can be heard saying to Beijing's top diplomat.
"We'll remove it": Cook Island's PM Mark Brown said to China's Ambassador to the Pacific, Qian Bo, who told the media a few moments earlier an affirming reference to Taiwan in the PIF 2024 communique "must be corrected". Photo: RNZ Pacific/ Lydia Lewis
Qian's outburst has since been reported widely with some Pacific political commentators suggesting it demonstrates how Beijing throws its weight to exert its influence the region.
The Forum Secretariat has "re-issued" a new version of the communique, which according to a PIF spokesperson is "correct version of the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Communique".
This new version has removed the following section: "Relations with Taiwan/Republic of China: 66. Leaders reaffirmed the 1992 Leaders decision on relations with Taiwan/Republic of
China."
"The version as finalised does not change nor impact the decisions of the meeting, nor any standing decisions of the Forum Leaders," the spokesperson said in an email response.
"The Communique is a consensus based document, reflecting the agreed decisions and views of all the Pacific Islands Forum," they added.
Reacting to Qian's comments, Kiribati's head of delegation said the Taiwan-China "issue is very sensitive".
"We believe that the inclusion of the Taiwan can cause problems," Kiribati's Education Minister Alexander Teabo told RNZ Pacific on Saturday as he was departing Tonga.
"China is more than the normal ally that we can depend on... and respect so much.
"The reality [is that] the Taiwan and China case it is politics within the China Sea, and if you look at the UN they recognise China," he said.
Kiribati head of delegation at PIFLM53, Alexander Teabo. Photo: RNZ Pacific/ Lydia Lewis
Teabo said the Pacific nations who were "affiliated to Taiwan want Taiwan to be included" in the forum.
"We, the majority [Pacific Islands Forum members], are following China. We believe that China will be frustrated," he said.
"[Taiwan] was discussed and in a manner that only some [PIF members] are talking about, but for us, we respected the one China policy."
Teabo said there should be consequences for the bungle.
"I think, yeah, should be," he responded.
"Taiwan and China have their own internal politics…and now pushing it into the forum, we think that it is going to be sort of trying to push their way into our forum family," Teabo added.
There were mixed reactions from other government officials who RNZ Pacific spoke to on the issue - with one saying they were disappointed that the PIF Secretariat let the Taiwan section slide, with another saying it was not a big deal.
Earlier in the week, Nauru's President told RNZ Pacific that he was pleased with Pacific unity despite differences of opinion on "some issues", although he did not elaborate on the what the issues were.
'Pacific is big enough'
Qian Bo has said only three out of 18 forum member countries recognised Taiwan, saying "they are trying to, you know, disrupt".
"Taiwan is part of China.
"Pacific is big enough for all of us to work together," he said, adding "we consider New Zealand is our strategic partner in many respects."
Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell following Australia’s Pacific Policing Initiative announcement. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Lydia Lewis
This week, the United States deputy secretary of State, Kurt Campbell, said that Washington welcomed any country that was committed to improving the living standards of Pacific peoples, including China.
"China's engagement in some of these areas is unobjectionable," he said.
However, he said concerns about Beijing's intentions and engagement in the region remained.
"We do have concerns in certain areas where China has supported undemocratic elements and where we have seen abuses in fishing practices, and also we are concerned by the potential for power projection capabilities into a region of peace," Campbell said.