Focus Taiwan
Date: .019/09/20
By: Emerson Lim and Christie Chen

Taipei, Sept. 20 (CNA) China's ongoing diplomatic offensive is aimed at influencing Taiwan's

upcoming elections and undermining its democratic process, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said Friday at a press conference, at which he announced the severance of official ties with Kiribati.

Taiwan on Friday lost its second diplomatic ally in a week, after Wu said Kiribati had given official notice earlier in the day that it was switching diplomatic allegiance to China.

"The Republic of China (Taiwan) government hereby declares that it is terminating diplomatic relations with the Republic of Kiribati effective immediately, ending all bilateral cooperative projects, and recalling the staff of its embassy, technical mission, and medical mission stationed in Kiribati," Wu said. "The government also demands that Kiribati immediately recall its government personnel from Taiwan."

He said that recently, China has been able to make inroads into the political circles in Kiribati and that the Pacific Island nation's President Taneti Mamau had been requesting a huge fund of US$36 million from Taiwan to buy commercial aircraft.    [FULL  STORY]