The bloc of 18 nations includes three members with diplomatic
ties to Taiwan, and 15 members who recognise China, a major
infrastructure lender to Pacific Islands countries where Beijing
is seeking to increase its security presence.
China says Taiwan is one of its provinces with no right to
state-to-state relations, a position the democratically governed
island strongly disputes.
A communique released on Friday on the forum's website included
a section headed "Relations with Taiwan/Republic of China",
stating "Leaders reaffirmed the 1992 Leaders decision on
relations with Taiwan/Republic of China".
The communique was removed from the website on Friday evening
after an angry response from China, and a new document was
posted on Saturday morning with the references to Taiwan
removed.
The forum's secretariat did not respond to a Reuters request for
comment.
Taiwan's foreign ministry expressed anger at China's actions.
"Taiwan condemns China's rude and unreasonable intervention and
irrational behaviour that undermines regional peace and
stability and calls on all like-minded countries to pay close
attention to China's actions," it said in a statement.
However, the ministry noted that the joint communique as
published did not undermine Taiwan's status at the forum nor
preclude it from participating in the future.
A development partner to the forum since 1993, Taiwan sent Tien
Chung-kwang, its deputy foreign minister to Tonga, to meet its
three Pacific allies, Palau, Tuvalu and Marshall Islands.
China's special envoy to the Pacific Islands, Qian Bo, reacted
angrily on Friday and told reporters in Tonga the reference to
Taiwan in the communique "must be a mistake", the Australian
Broadcasting Corporation and Nikkei reported.
Qian had lobbied during the week for Taiwan to be excluded from
the forum's official functions, the Chinese embassy's website
showed.
"Any attempt by the Taiwan authorities to brush up their sense
of presence by rubbing shoulders with the forum can only be
self-deceptive," China's foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian
said at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Friday.
Taiwan's diplomatic allies in the Pacific have reduced in recent
years as China has increased offers of development funding.
Nauru switched ties from Taiwan to Beijing in January, while
Kiribati and Solomon Islands, which both now host Chinese
police, switched in 2019.
(Reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Additional reporting by
Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Stephen Coates and Himani
Sarkar)
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