THE Solomon Islands’ decision to exclude Taiwan from the upcoming Pacific Forum meeting is a threat to regional unity, Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said yesterday.
Rabuka said the move threatened to fracture decades of Pacific unity and cooperation.
“We inherited these dialogue partners and development partners, and we should pass them on. If we create a fracture now, it could result in the fracturing and dismantling of the combined efforts of the Pacific Islands Forum and our dialogue and development partners.”
The Solomon Islands is believed to have rejected Taiwan under pressure from China.
Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele defended the decision as a sovereign move made in the region’s best interest and rejected claims of external pressure.
After concerns from Pacific leaders about Taiwan’s exclusion, Manele closed the doors on China and the US in what was seen as a face-saving measure by many observers.
Taiwan’s exclusion came amid growing geopolitical tensions in the Pacific, with the Solomon Islands shifting diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 2019.