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US-China relations
ChinaDiplomacy

Taiwan slams Beijing for blocking UN Ocean Conference delegates

  • In latest diplomatic snub, mainland Chinese authorities bar island’s experts from attending conservation meeting as part of Tuvalu delegation
  • Taipei vows to work with allies to oppose ‘growing malign influence’

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Taiwan has been excluded from the United Nations since 1971, when the global body admitted Beijing as the sole representative of China. Photo: Reuters
Lawrence Chung
Taiwan has condemned mainland Chinese authorities for blocking its experts from taking part in a United Nations sustainability event in yet another diplomatic snub from Beijing, which claims sovereignty over the self-ruled island.
Three Taiwanese experts were originally set to attend the five-day United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, from Monday as part of Tuvalu’s delegation.
But Beijing, which sits on the UN credentials committee, opposed the inclusion of the Taiwanese on the grounds that the island was not a UN member. It threatened to revoke the entire delegation’s accreditations if Tuvalu did not comply.
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Taiwan has been excluded from the United Nations since 1971, when the global body admitted Beijing as the sole representative of China. As a result, the island and its citizens are unable to attend UN events.

Tuvalu Foreign Minister Simon Kofe bowed out of a UN conference that opened Monday after mainland Chinese authorities blocked Taiwanese attendees from joining the South Pacific island country’s delegation. Photo: Reuters
Tuvalu Foreign Minister Simon Kofe bowed out of a UN conference that opened Monday after mainland Chinese authorities blocked Taiwanese attendees from joining the South Pacific island country’s delegation. Photo: Reuters
The move prompted Tuvalu Foreign Minister Simon Kofe to cancel his trip to show “solidarity with Taiwan”, Radio New Zealand reported on Monday. The Pacific island country, which established formal ties with Taiwan in 1979, is one of 14 states to officially recognise Taipei.
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Taiwan’s foreign ministry thanked Tuvalu for its strong support and for helping the island take part in international events. It also condemned Beijing for “randomly exerting pressure on UN members”, an act that “once again revealed its malicious nature”.

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