Taiwan says foreign minister to attend Pacific leaders' meeting

Taiwan's foreign minister will attend an annual gathering of Pacific Island leaders in Palau next week, Taipei said Wednesday, after China's protests saw it blocked from the event last year.

Lin Chia-lung will depart for Palau on Thursday ahead of the meeting, which begins on Sunday and ends on September 4, the foreign ministry said.

Palau is among Taiwan's 12 remaining diplomatic partners, along with Pacific nations Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands.

China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and opposes Taipei's participation in international organisations and exchanges with other governments.

Lin will lead a delegation that will include representatives from the energy, technology, food, construction and agriculture sectors, the ministry said.

The minister will meet with "Taiwan's Pacific allies and other friendly nations to discuss deepening Taiwan's partnerships with Pacific Island nations and jointly maintaining peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," the statement said.

Pacific Islands Forum members Nauru, Kiribati and Solomon Islands have all switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing since 2019.

Solomon Islands, the host of last year's meeting, barred Taiwan from attending at the time.

This resulted in all external countries being disinvited, despite the island states' reliance on foreign aid and investment.