Taiwan warns Solomon Islands switch to China could mean ‘debt trap’

Taiwan warns Solomon Islands of Beijing's debt trap diplomacy as it considers switching ties to Beijing

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/09/06
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As leaders of the Solomon Islands consider switching diplomatic relations from Taiwan to China, the Taiwanese government is warning the fellow Pacific island nation of Beijing's notorious "debt trap" diplomacy.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) told Reuters that "China’s expansion in the Pacific has made many countries to fall into the trap of debt." She added that many countries have been lured into China's debt trap, "The flashy infrastructure that China promised has caused serious damage to the local ecosystem and infringed their sovereignty."

Ou told the news service that much of the general public in the country wishes to maintain ties with Taiwan, "Representatives from the civil society mostly support maintaining the official relations with Taiwan and are doubtful toward the so-called 'switching of ties.'" Ou expressed confidence that the Solomon Islands government is wise to Beijing's tricks, "We believe the Solomons government and people are alerted by China’s usual deceptive tricks, overbearing behaviors and untrustworthiness in the international society."

As part of the sweet candy to lure the Solomon Islands into its layer, the authoritarian communist regime is offering a development fund to the Pacific nation if it cuts off ties with Taiwan. The fund would replace a similar program launched by Taiwan, which has pledged US$8.5 million (NT$265.8 million) for the period 2019-2020 to the South Pacific nation of 600,000.    [FULL  STORY]