Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joseph Wu, returned to Taiwan on Friday, September 4th, and expressed his dissatisfaction with the Chinese Communist Party’s actions during the 55th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). Wu criticized the CCP for not only opposing Taiwan’s participation but also sending undercover and security personnel to various venues and activities. He condemned the CCP’s “hostile takeover” and its use of “wolf warrior diplomacy” to disrupt unity in the Pacific region, calling it “repugnant and disgusting”.
The host country, Palau, which still maintains formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, is one of the three Pacific Island nations. Taiwan’s Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, was invited to lead a delegation to attend the summit.
Furthermore, Taiwanese civil society groups attending the friendship dinner revealed that suspicious individuals were taking photos and recording guests at the event venue.
Since 1993, Taiwan has participated in the Pacific Islands Forum activities as a “development partner,” but the CCP has consistently sought to exclude and suppress Taiwan.
Minister Wu stated, “The PIF consists of 18 member countries, and they are the decision-makers. Whether China is a dialogue partner or Taiwan is a development partner, we are all invited guests.”
Australia and New Zealand have emphasized that the Pacific Islands Forum should decide which countries and partners to invite. Palau’s President, Surangel Whipps Jr., has also publicly stated that while Pacific partners are welcome, external countries should not dictate the direction of the Pacific.
Minister Wu pointed out that the CCP does not respect the host’s wishes and even tries to present itself as the host.
Despite continuous demands by China to exclude Taiwan, this time they openly announced their opposition to Taiwan’s participation in the summit.
Chinese special envoy on Pacific Island Affairs, Qian Bo, issued a public warning on August 31, stating that there would be consequences if Taiwan participated in the PIF. China also issued a travel advisory against Palau.
Minister Wu expressed that China’s threatening rhetoric and actions do not align with the Pacific region’s emphasis on dialogue, consensus, and mutual respect under the “Pacific Way”.
Minister Wu further disclosed, “There were many undercover CCP agents and security personnel in many places I visited at the venue,” calling it a form of espionage. He thanked the Palau government for enhancing security measures.
Taiwanese civil society groups also revealed similar incidents. The Taiwan International Youth Ambassadors Association posted on Facebook on September 2 that during the “Taiwan Night” event jointly organized by Taiwan and Palau on September 1, individuals with Chinese accents were seen lingering around the venue, continuously taking photos and recording guests.
The association stated that “Taiwan Night” was meant to be a simple networking event where people could chat, interact, and get to know each other, but the presence of such individuals created a sense of absurdity rather than fear.
The post mentioned, “From public threats, using tourism as a pressure tool, to taking photos and records at event venues, the underlying message is simple: ‘Getting too close to Taiwan will bring trouble, and China will not let you off the hook.’
“Just as Minister Joseph Wu mentioned, this is the ‘weaponization’ of normal people-to-people exchanges. This time, China’s threats are nakedly displayed in front of us for the first time, which is shocking. We are confused as to why Taiwan simply wants to make friends, why does China have to behave this way in its dealings with the world?”