China voices angst over Taiwan as Pacific Island leaders meet

The flags of Pacific Island nations during the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Koror, Palau, on Monday | AAP/ via REUTERS

Sep 1, 2026

China voiced its opposition to Taiwan joining a meeting of Pacific island nations this week, with Beijing’s envoy threatening unspecified consequences over its presence at the conference.

Palau, a stunning West Pacific archipelago of less than 20,000 people, is one of a dozen remaining nations that maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan. As host of this year’s Pacific Islands Forum, it invited Taiwan’s foreign minister to attend, one of Taipei’s few remaining avenues for international exposure.

“We certainly have serious concerns,” China’s special envoy to the Pacific Qian Bo told reporters in Palau on Monday. “Taiwan is not a dialogue partner for the forum, so we have serious concerns. We have made our position very clear to the government of Palau.”

In a time of both misinformation and too much information,
quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.