Island nation of 12,000 stands up to China, demands apology for envoy’s ‘bullying’ | world news
Wellington/Sydney: The tiny Micronesian state of Nauru is demanding a formal apology after a dispute with China’s representative at this week’s Pacific Islands Forum highlighted tensions with Beijing over its support for Taiwan.
Nauru, an island nation of about 12,000 people, hosted leaders from 18 Pacific nations, as well as delegations from non-member nations including the United States and China, for the forum.
The spat occurred when Nauru’s president, Baron Waqa, refused to back down when the head of the Chinese delegation, diplomat Du Qiwen, asked to be allowed to address the forum in front of the prime minister. of Tuvalu on Tuesday.
Waqa described the Chinese envoy as “very insolent” and a “bully” for speaking out of turn.
Nauru and Tuvalu are two of six Pacific countries to have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which is a major source of tension with China, which sees Taiwan as a capricious province, to be taken over by force if necessary.
At a news conference following the leaders’ meeting at the forum on Wednesday night, Nauru’s president was asked if he would seek an official apology from China for the behavior of his envoy.
“We will go further than that, I tell you that we will not just ask for an apology, we will in fact ask the forum to do it… and ours and we will even take it to the UN” , Waqa said. mentioned.
“It doesn’t matter how big they are, they are our partners, they must not disrespect us.”
HE President Baron Waqa will demand an official apology from China after the official departure of #NauruPIF2018 Meet. #PacificBluehttps://t.co/WIX2y3Os3H
— Republic of Nauru (@Republic_Nauru) September 6, 2018
China’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but said on Wednesday Nauru violated international standards and forum rules.
Chinese tabloid Global Times said in an editorial that the dispute was over Nauru’s recognition of Taiwan.
“Taiwan should not believe that there is still an opportunity for its ‘diplomacy’ simply because of Nauru’s actions. It is absurd that Taiwan’s future can be decided by a remote Pacific island nation,” he said Thursday. the newspaper.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry also did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Waqa said he did not allow China to speak because protocol required him to allow prime ministers and ministers to speak in front of diplomats.
“I have to be strong here because no one has to come and dictate things to us,” Waqa said. “It’s about how they treated us, they’re not our friends. They’re just using us for their own ends, for their own will.”
The forum is due to end on Thursday.
China has become one of the major economic players in the Pacific, spending billions of dollars on trade, investment, aid and tourism in a region that US ally Australia has long considered his “backyard”.
Chinese lending to the region has soared from near zero to $1.3 billion over the past decade, fueling fears that tiny nations will find themselves overburdened and in debt.
Tuvalu is set to host the Pacific Islands Forum in 2019 and Waqa said some states have suggested changing the rules regarding forum events where countries with “dialogue partner” status, including the China, would be allowed to speak.
Meg Taylor, secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum, told the press conference that the rule change and protocols for meetings would be reviewed in the first quarter of 2019.
