Space Travel News
TAIWAN NEWS
Taiwan envoy says Tuvalu ties 'rock solid' post-election
Taiwan envoy says Tuvalu ties 'rock solid' post-election
by AFP Staff Writers
Funafuti, Tuvalu (AFP) Feb 26, 2024

Taiwan said it received assurances from Tuvalu's new prime minister Monday that ties were "everlasting", scotching rumours that the Pacific island nation was poised to flip alliances to Beijing.

Former attorney general Feleti Teo was named premier in a ceremony on Monday, a month after an election that put the Pacific Island nation's recognition of Taiwan in question.

Tuvalu, with a population of just 11,000 is one of just 12 states that still have formal diplomatic relations with Taipei rather than Beijing.

During the election campaign, member of parliament and then-finance minister Seve Paeniu floated the idea that Tuvalu's new government should review its Taiwan ties.

That set off frenzied speculation about a looming shift in policy, causing the election to be closely watched from the United States to China.

Andrew Lin, Taiwan's ambassador to Tuvalu, tried to end that speculation.

Lin told AFP that he had spoken to Teo and government MPs on Monday and received assurances "that the relationship between Taiwan and Tuvalu is firm, rock solid, durable and everlasting."

"I was invited to attend a lunch with all the MPs and the newly elected PM. I had conversations with all of them and had assurances from all of them," he said.

Teo, a former attorney general, was most recently the head of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.

He is the first Tuvaluan prime minister to be nominated unopposed and will be inaugurated later this week, according to lawmaker Simon Kofe.

- 'Very good friends' -

China has dramatically ramped up its efforts to gain influence across the Pacific Islands in recent years, lavishing small nation states with loans, investment, security aid and other enticements.

Beijing has already poached some of Taiwan's Pacific allies, convincing Solomon Islands and Kiribati to switch recognition in 2019.

Neighbouring Nauru severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in January this year.

Against that backdrop, Tuvalu's election garnered more attention than usual, with the process of choosing a new leader more drawn out than expected.

After the election, the islands' 16 lawmakers were due to gather in Funafuti within days to agree on a new government and a new leader.

But high winds and heavy seas left several MPs stranded on outlying islands and unable to reach the capital for almost a month.

International relations are expected to be high on the list of issues for Teo's new government, along with the problems of climate change and rising sea levels.

Two of Tuvalu's nine coral islands have already largely disappeared under the waves, and climate scientists fear the entire archipelago will be uninhabitable within the next 80 years.

Taiwan ambassador Lin said he and Teo had an excellent relationship.

"I spoke to him at the ceremony, I speak to him all the time. Tuvalu is very small, we are very good friends and close to each other."

Related Links
Taiwan News at SinoDaily.com

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
TAIWAN NEWS
Taiwan detects 33 Chinese military aircraft around island
Taipei (AFP) Jan 27, 2024
More than 30 Chinese military aircraft were detected around Taiwan in a 24-hour window, Taipei's defence ministry said Saturday, marking the largest show of force around the island since it held crucial elections. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, and has never renounced the use of force to try to bring the self-ruled island under its control. Ahead of Taiwan's January 13 poll, Beijing warned voters that presidential candidate Lai Ching-te - the current vice president whom China h ... read more

TAIWAN NEWS
TAIWAN NEWS
Confirmation of ancient lake on Mars builds excitement for Perseverance rover's samples

NASA helicopter's mission ends after three years on Mars

New Year, New images from Perseverance on Mars

Polka Dots and Sunbeams: Sol 4078

TAIWAN NEWS
Japan's Moon lander comes back to life

New insights into Lunar evolution with revised geological time scale proposed

Japan craft made successful pin-point Moon landing, space agency says

SLIM deploys robots despite a bullseye upside down lunar landing

TAIWAN NEWS
NASA invites public to dive into Juno's Spectacular Images of Io

Europa Clipper gears up with full instrument suite onboard

New images reveal what Neptune and Uranus really look like

Researchers reveal true colors of Neptune, Uranus

TAIWAN NEWS
UC Irvine-led team unravels mysteries of planet formation and evolution in distant solar system

NASA's Hubble Finds Water Vapor in Small Exoplanet's Atmosphere

Passing Stars Altered Orbital Changes in Earth, Other Planets

Scientists Unveil Free-Floating Planetary Giants in the Orion Nebula

TAIWAN NEWS
China plans record 100 space launches in 2024, including lunar and station missions

Stratolaunch conducts second captive carry flight of Hypersonic Vehicle TA-1

MITRE and MDC team up to advance at Midland Spaceport

ESA and PLD Space join forces to enhance small satellite launch flexibility

TAIWAN NEWS
BIT advances microbiological research on Chinese Space Station

Shenzhou 18 and 19 crews undertake intensive training for next missions

Space Pioneer and LandSpace Lead China's Private Sector to New Heights in Space

Tianzhou 6 burns up safely reentering Earth

TAIWAN NEWS
Can astronomers use radar to spot a cataclysmic asteroid?

Lucy gears up for a busy year on route to the Jupiter Trojans

Asteroid 2024 BX1 spotted three hours before impact

New Findings from Ryugu Samples Reveal Cometary Organic Matter

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.