Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 1st that Fiji, an island country in the South Pacific, has faced intense pressure from China after allowing Taiwan’s representative office in Fiji to include “Republic of China” in the name.
According to Taiwan’s Central News Agency, Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Yong-jian said at a briefing on the 2nd, “Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the office in Fiji are negotiating with the Fijian government on this issue.” It may be withdrawn,” he explained.
The Fiji government, which changed government at the end of last year, tried to allow the Taiwanese office in Fiji to change its name to one containing “Republic of China” in March this year. Accordingly, Taiwan changed the name of its representative office in Fiji from ‘Fiji Taipei Trade Office’ to ‘Republic of China Trade Office’.
However, pressure from China raises the possibility that these changes may be reversed.
The Fijian government said it would guarantee diplomatic privileges for Taiwanese diplomats in Fiji, which were revoked by the previous government in 2018, under the Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities Act of 1971. For this, the Taiwanese government expressed its gratitude to Fiji.
Since then, the website of Taiwan’s representative office in Fiji has been changed from ‘Zeppi Taipei Trade Office’ to ‘Zeppe Republic of China (Taiwan) Trade Office’. However, the Fiji Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to release an official photo of the mission bearing the new name.
Fiji was the first Pacific island nation to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China (China) in 1975. China established an embassy in Fiji in 1976, and Pizza established an embassy in China in 2001.
A source who requested anonymity told Central News Agency, “Although there is no official diplomatic relationship with the Republic of China, Fijian leaders have visited Taiwan and supported Taiwan’s participation in international organizations several times.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.