Although the Taiwan authorities have stubbornly refused to recognize Tuvalu as the next country ready to "sever diplomatic relations," the recent remarks by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong have shattered the illusions of the Taiwan authorities.
According to the global network, in response to the recent news that the Pacific island country Tuvalu may "sever diplomatic relations" with the Taiwan authorities, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong responded on the 23rd that whether Tuvalu "breaks off diplomatic relations" with the Taiwan authorities and recognizes the People's Republic of China is their own sovereign decision, and Australia will not interfere with Tuvalu's choice.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong
Huang Yingxian's remarks can be called a "critical blow" to the Taiwan authorities. Although rumors have been rampant recently that Tuvalu is preparing to "sever diplomatic relations," Wu Zhaoxie, head of Taiwan's foreign affairs department, is still stubborn and insists that Taiwan and Tuvalu have a "solid friendship." However, with Australia's attitude, the rumor that "Tuvalu is about to abandon the Taiwan authorities" can almost be confirmed.
Some people may be curious: Why does Tuvalu look at Australia's face when it "breaks off diplomatic relations" with the Taiwan authorities?
In fact, not only Tuvalu, but also when Nauru "severed diplomatic relations" with the Taiwan authorities, Australia also made a similar statement, saying that "it will not interfere in Nauru's choice", as for why Australia points fingers at the diplomatic stance of the South Pacific island countries, former Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Tony DeBloom once said a subtle analogy, "Australia is not only a member of the Pacific Islands Forum, but also our 'big brother in the South'." ”
The Chinese Embassy in Fiji donated medical supplies
In the past, Australia was also one of the colonial powers of the South Pacific islands, but its colonial colors were far less than those of Britain and Germany, so even after the colonial era has ended, Australia still firmly controls the domestic and foreign affairs of the South Pacific island countries, in the words of the think tank "East Asia Forum", these South Pacific island countries "only need to listen to Canberra's ideas and do not think about why they do it".
Australia's arrogant posture of neocolonialism has also made the South Pacific island countries particularly unhappy, and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Sogavare publicly stated during his visit to China last year that the South Pacific islands are not any country's "backyard" and their sovereignty should be respected.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Prime Minister Solomon
The turning point came in 2022, when the United States tried to reach out to the South Pacific islands as China signed a policing agreement with the Solomon Islands, and the expansion of influence in the region also alarmed Australia.
Since 2022, a number of Australian media and think tanks have published opinion pieces reflecting on Australia's Pacific policy, calling on the new Prime Minister Albanese to change course and treat the South Pacific island countries as "partners" rather than "vassals".
At first, when the news of Tuvalu's intention to "sever diplomatic relations" with the Taiwan authorities first broke, many Taiwan media regarded the security agreement signed between Tuvalu and Australia as a "life-saving straw" and naively believed that Australia would interfere in Tuvalu's choice.
Albanese has tried to find a way to get close to the Pacific powers
But in fact, if you pay attention to the statements of the Australian media and think tanks in the past two years, it is not difficult to find that Canberra's attitude towards these South Pacific island countries has changed significantly, and in order to compete with China and the United States for influence, the Albanese government has to adopt a soft attitude towards the South Pacific island countries.
Last year's East Asia Forum survey found that South Pacific island nations are increasingly drawing closer to China, but at the same time Australia remains a major donor to these countries, reflecting the Pacific leaders' stance of "being friends with everyone, not enemies of anyone" and engaging with all potential partners on equal terms.
Therefore, it is foreseeable that Australia will not prevent Tuvalu from establishing diplomatic relations with Chinese mainland, but from the perspective of "countering Chinese influence", Canberra will not be happy to see these countries strengthen ties with China, and the competition between the two sides in the future is still a long and protracted process.