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Australia says it won’t interfere if Taiwan ally Tuvalu shifts diplomatic ties to Beijing
- Foreign Minister Penny Wong said it’s ‘a sovereign decision’ for Tuvalu amid reports the Pacific island nation could follow Nauru’s lead in shifting its alliance to China
- Canberra recently signed a major climate treaty with Funafuti as it seeks to cement its influence in the region
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Australia won’t interfere in any moves by the Pacific nation of Tuvalu to end its diplomatic relationship with Taiwan, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said, following media reports that it could follow Nauru’s lead in shifting its alliance to China.
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Tuvalu’s foreign policy is a matter for the Pacific nation alone, Wong said at a press conference in Canberra on Tuesday. Any decision on its recognition of either Taiwan or mainland China is “not something we would be intervening in.”
“It’s a sovereign decision for Tuvalu just as it is a sovereign decision for us,” Wong said.
Her comments come after a historic agreement with Tuvalu in November which gave Australia greater say in the Pacific nation’s defence and security decisions in return for enabling better migration access for Tuvalu’s citizens.
There are now only three Pacific nations including Tuvalu which maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan, following Nauru’s decision earlier in January to cut ties and recognise China. The two others are Palau and the Marshall Islands.
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