Taiwan sets up US$2 million health care fund for Pacific island nations amid diplomatic tussle with Beijing
Announcement comes as Taipei fights to maintain influence in region home to six of its diplomatic allies
Taiwan said on Wednesday it has set up a US$2 million medical fund to help Pacific nations, as it seeks to reinforce ties in the region amid an escalating diplomatic tussle with Beijing, which is determined to isolate the self-ruled island on the world stage.
The announcement was made by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs during Foreign Minister Joseph Wu’s visit to the Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru, which maintains official ties with Taiwan.
Wu was quoted as saying that there was a pressing need for medical support among the Pacific nations, and that Taipei would use the fund to pay for visits to the islands by Taiwanese medical teams next year.
“Forum members are welcome to apply via our embassies or representative offices for the medical aid according to what they need,” the statement said.
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The offer from Taipei came a day after Beijing’s delegation to the forum stormed out of a meeting on climate change when Nauru’s President Baron Waqa refused to let its special envoy Du Qiwen take the floor.