Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/09/20
By: Chang Jung-hsiang, Chen Chih-chung and Emerson Lim

Taipei, Sept. 20 (CNA) More than 100 Kiribati students currently studying in Taiwan, 50 of them beneficiaries of scholarships granted by the Taiwanese government, are facing an uncertain future after Taiwan's diplomatic relations with the central Pacific nation ended on Friday.

Taiwan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) announced at a press conference earlier in the day that Taiwan was cutting diplomatic ties with Kiribati, after it notified Taipei of its decision to switch allegiance to Beijing.

Kiribati was the second diplomatic ally lost by Taiwan to China this week, after the Solomon Islands made the same decision on Monday.

Currently, there are 110 students from Kiribati studying in Taiwan, and 50 of them are recipients of scholarships provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), according to the Ministry of Education (MOE).    [FULL  STORY]