Taiwan's foreign minister has called on Aotearoa to invest more in the Pacific to counter China's diplomatic rise.
In an exclusive interview on Q+A, Joseph Wu said the recent security deal between the Solomon Islands and China should be taken as a warning to the democratic world.
“China is an authoritarian country," he said.
"China does not share the fundamental values of freedom, democracy, protection of human rights, the rule of law, and the rules-based international order.
“When China expands its ties in the Pacific, it is also bringing authoritarian beliefs and policies to those countries,” he said, arguing that there had been an increased influence over mass media and education in the Solomon Islands and Kiribati.
Taiwan itself has direct diplomatic relations with a dwindling number of Pacific nations, having had previous partners picked off by China.
But Taiwan’s preparing to stand its ground. (Source: 1News)
Only Tuvalu, Palau, Nauru and the Marshall Islands retain full diplomatic relationships with Taiwan — which has a non-diplomatic representative presence in New Zealand.
Only 12 of 193 UN member states hold formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. However, many, including Aotearoa, have de facto embassies and hold strong informal relations.
Wu said New Zealand needed to be careful in maintaining its relationships with neighbouring countries with growing "Chinese ambition".
“The Solomon Islands is very far away from China, but at the same time, it’s very close to Australia and New Zealand.”
“China signed a security agreement with the Solomon Islands last April. That shows the Chinese ambition, and that is something we have to watch out for.”
Wu warned that China was also stepping up their presence in the Pacific while attention on China’s military activities focused on the "first island chain" and the South China Sea.
Like a lot of complicated relationships, it starts with history, explains Caitlin McGee (Source: 1News)
China has labelled the foreign minister as an ardent supporter of Taiwan's independence. However, he describes himself as a defender of maintaining the diplomatic status quo.
An island of 23 million people, Taiwan is a self-governing democracy that traces its roots back to the Chinese Civil War. It has largely functioned as a de facto independent state.
China's ruling Communist Party has long maintained that the island is obliged to rejoin the mainland — by force if necessary.
Q+A is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
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