Vanuatu To Establish Diplomatic Links With Taiwan In Surprise Move
by Mary Swire, Tax-News.com, Hong Kong
04 November 2004

Two months after establishing relations with China, the President of Vanuatu, Serge Vohor visited Taiwan this week and announced that the Pacific Island-state will establish full diplomatic relations with China’s historic rival.

"The Republic of China and the Republic of Vanuatu signed a communiqué today to recognize each other and open full diplomatic relationships," Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Chen Tan-sun told a press conference yesterday.

He added: "We pledge to strengthen bilateral ties with expanded trade and exchange of visit by top officials."

The move has raised eyebrows in some quarters as it would appear to contradict Vohor’s pledge to support China’s ‘one-nation’ policy, made during a visit to the mainland in September.

Whilst Taiwan has sought to assert its independence as a nation state, Beijing has since the end of the civil war in 1949 insisted that the island remains part of China, fuelling an often bitter enmity between the two countries.

Unusually, Vohor’s support for Taiwan and its bid to be accepted into the United Nations and other international bodies has even surprised members of his own government.

Vanuatu’s foreign minister George Manuri was reportedly unaware that the President had travelled to Taiwan, and remarked after Wednesday’s announcement that the move “is a complete reversal of our One China policy.”

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