Taiwan dropped from Pacific summit document after China's 'correction' demand

The Pacific Islands Forum communique was published on Friday, but later disappeared and was replaced with a version containing no mention of Taiwan.

Left: Several leaders from Pacific Islands members, including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Right: China's ambassador to the Pacific nations, Qian Bo, pictured in 2022. Source: AAP, Facebook / Lukas Coch / Pacific Islands Forum

Key Points

• The Pacific Islands Forum leaders' communique said Taiwan should continue to be represented at the forum.
• China's Ambassador to the Pacific said described the note as a "mistake" and said it "must be corrected.
• The communique then disappeared from the PIF website and later reappeared with no mention of Taiwan.

A reference to Taiwan has been removed from the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders' communique after China's Ambassador to the Pacific demanded that the document be "corrected".

The annual PIF — held this year in Tonga — brings together leaders from the Pacific region, including Australia and New Zealand, and aims to foster cooperation between governments and support Pacific peoples.

China is not a member, but is a 'dialogue partner' and attends some of the PIF events, along with other powers including the United States.

On Friday, the PIF communique was published online, and leaders reaffirmed that Taiwan should continue to be represented at the forum.

"Leaders reaffirmed the 1992 Leaders decision on relations with Taiwan/Republic of China," the communique stated.

But China's Ambassador to the Pacific Qian Bo, described this as a "mistake" and said the document "must be corrected".

"The situation is obvious, among the 18 members of the PIF, 15 countries have diplomatic relations with China, and 15 countries have categorically stated they stand by the One China principle," Qian told reporters.

"So this is a surprising mistake made by someone ... I think it must be corrected."

Pacific leaders at the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum on Thursday. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch

The communique then disappeared from the PIF website and reappeared on Saturday morning.

The updated version did not mention Taiwan.

Taiwan is recognised as a "development partner" of PIF, a status it has held since 1993.

China claims Taiwan is part of its territory, but Taiwan, which is self-governed, sees itself as independent from the mainland.

Only three PIF members — Tuvalu, Palau and Marshall Islands — recognise Taiwan as separate from China.

Three others — Solomon Islands, Kiribati, and Nauru — have switched recognition to China in recent years.

In the lead-up to the forum, Solomon Islands had indicated it would seek to downgrade Taiwan's status.

"We look at Taiwan as not a sovereign country," Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Peter Shanel Agovaka told reporters ahead of the event.

Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr said any such proposal would be "disrespectful of sovereignty".

"That would obviously be disrespectful of sovereignty," he said.

"We came together as a forum. We have differences of opinion. We respect that.

"Taiwan has been a partner to all the Pacific Islands and continues to be, and if one country decides that they don't want to be their friend or they want to kick them out, that's not right."

SBS News has contacted the PIF secretariat and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's office for comment.