Vohor Defiant Over Relations With Taiwan
by Mary Swire, Tax-News.com, Hong Kong
19 November 2004

With confusion the order of the day concerning Vanuatu’s opening of diplomatic channels with Taiwan in apparent defiance of the Pacific nation’s adherence to the one China policy, Prime Minister Serge Vohor appeared on national television this week in an attempt to defend his recent trip to Taipei.

“When I took the decision to engage full diplomatic relations with Taiwan, I knew it was a difficult decision,” Vohor stated with regard to his unilateral decision, taken without the knowledge of his own government, which the Council of Ministers subsequently rejected in an unanimous vote last week.

According to Vohor, the relationship with China has been largely fruitless for Vanuatu in terms of economic aid. He suggested that this justified his attempt to make a deal with Taiwan because “it is a question of survival for Vanuatu.”

“China has a lot of commitment all over the world. I can understand their position in that they can only contribute to the development of Vanuatu up to a certain extent,” he explained.

Vohor also revealed that he has been in talks with representatives of the People’s Republic and explained to them that he was acting in Vanuatu’s own national interest, although he is still supportive of the one China policy.

However, this does not appear to have placated the Chinese, and media reports from China suggest that Beijing is unlikely to tolerate the situation.

Referring to the agreement signed by Vanuatu and the People’s Republic in 1982, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue told a news conference yesterday that the Vanuatu government “promised very clearly in the communiqué that the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing the whole China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory".

Zhang added that the vote by Vanuatu’s Council of Ministers effectively annulled the agreement with Taiwan.

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