SAMOA has signalled its reluctance to attend the Pacific Islands Forum in Honiara if Taiwan is excluded from the talks.
Caretaker Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa said Samoa would find it “very difficult” to attend the meeting in Honiara, Solomon Islands, if the long-standing practice of allowing Taiwan to participate was changed.
Her remarks followed a move by Solomon Islands and allies of China in the region to exclude Taiwan.
“Well this issue began to raise its head at the last meeting in Tonga, and I made it quite clear that at the retreat the leaders made the decision that we would retain the practise with our dialogue partners where those countries who had deep relations with Taiwan would have the opportunity to have their dialogue, and that has been the practise of the leaders meeting ever since the issue arose,” Mata’afa said.
In the last five years, China has ramped up efforts to undermine Taiwan’s influence in the region.
Forum members have maintained cordial relations with Taiwan, allowing it to attend talks as a courtesy.
“If there’s any change to the way the Forum has run its dialogue programme with accommodations for Taiwan, I think if that is changed, in terms of a decision by the Solomon Islands, I think we would find it very difficult to attend the next meeting,’’ Mata’afa said.