Republic of Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. shared that a Chinese ambassador to a neighboring country has offered to flood Palau with visitors if the nation were to back China’s stance on Taiwan. Whipps revealed this information during his visit with New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters this Wednesday.
In response to the alleged offer, Whipps said Palau doesn’t need a million tourists, and it’s not always about how much money they can amass. At the Taipei International Tourism Expo on Friday morning, Taiwan’s Foreign Affairs Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) stated that tourism is a pleasant thing, but when used as a weapon it will not likely benefit an international relationship long-term. Lin expressed gratitude towards Whipps for not succumbing to the pressure and continuing to cherish Palau’s relationship with Taiwan. He is also encouraging the Taiwanese public to show their support by traveling to Palau, a nation which he says is beautiful and worth repeatedly visiting.
Lin underlined how difficult existing peacefully is with China’s growing pressure, and supported the notion that other democracies should be united in their response, maintaining peace, stability, security, and prosperous development. Taiwan has diplomatic relations with 12 nations, 3 of which are in East Asia and the Pacific, including the Republic of Palau. The nation of around 18,000 people officially forged diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1999, citing mutually reinforcing motivating factors such as shared Austronesian cultural heritage, democratic values, and a preservation of freedom.