The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday congratulated Tuvalu on completing its major elections smoothly, while dismissing the suggestion that Taiwan might be facing another diplomatic blow in the Pacific region.
Ambassador to Tuvalu Andrew Lin (林東亨) has congratulated Tuvaluan Governor-General Tofiga Falani and the lawmakers elected in Friday’s vote on behalf of the Republic of China government and Taiwanese, the ministry said in a news release.
Taiwan and Tuvalu established formal diplomatic relations in 1979, and bilateral ties over the past 45 years have remained “stable and strong,” it said.
Photo: Taipei Times file
Taiwan looks forward to continue working with Tuvalu on promoting the Pacific island nation’s development and climate change response, it added.
In a separate statement yesterday, the ministry rejected media reports suggesting that after its parliamentarian elections, Tuvalu might follow Nauru in switching diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China.
“The majority of the known newly elected members of the parliament support the Taiwan-Tuvalu relationship,” it said, adding that those lawmakers maintain a friendly stance toward Taiwan and back the continuation of ties between the countries.
The ministry described it as “regrettable” that some media outlets had suggested that Taiwan was facing a potential diplomatic setback after a small number of pro-Taiwan politicians lost in Tuvalu’s elections.
Tuvaluan Minister of Finance Seve Paeniu, who secured a seat on Friday and is a contender for the country’s leadership, told Reuters earlier this week that Tuvalu’s ties with Taiwan “need to be debated and reviewed in the new parliament.”
Paeniu said that the voters of Tuvalu wanted more financial support from the international community to help the island nation address climate change and other issues.
In contrast, Tuvaluan Prime Minister Kausea Natano, who had pledged support for Taiwan, lost his seat in the elections, fueling speculation that the microstate might be poised to switch diplomatic recognition to Beijing.
Results showed that Kausea Natano, who has backed long-standing relations with Taipei, failed to win one of two seats up for grabs on the main atoll of Funafuti.
The elections in the nation of about 11,000 were closely watched following Nauru’s diplomatic switch from Taipei to Beijing on Monday last week, shortly after Vice President William Lai (賴清德) was elected president.
That left Taiwan with only 12 UN-recognized allies.
Taipei has criticized Beijing for poaching Nauru, calling the move “a retaliatory act against democratic values and a clear challenge to the stability of the international order.”
Tuvalu’s looming leadership change also throws into doubt a recent climate and security treaty with Australia.
The deal saw Canberra offer refuge to Tuvaluans threatened by climate change.
It also offered Australia a say in any defense pacts Tuvalu signs with other countries — effectively blocking any security deal with China.
Another former Tuvaluan prime minister, Enele Sopoaga, who won re-election and is expected to seek a top job, has proposed scrapping that treaty.
Australia was shocked in 2022 when neighboring Solomon Islands secretly signed a defense pact with Beijing that would allow the deployment of Chinese forces on the islands.
Since the signing of that agreement, uniformed Chinese police officers have become a regular sight in the Pacific nation.
Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong (黃英賢) yesterday congratulated Tuvalu on a “successful election,” while offering the prospect of further cooperation.
“We look forward to working with the new government,” she said. “Australia and Tuvalu are longstanding friends, sharing an interest in building a stronger, more resilient and more peaceful Pacific.”
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