China Can’t Decide Where Fijians Travel, Says Taiwan Ambassador

Taiwan's Ambassador to Fiji, Joseph Chow, has slammed China and the Chinese Embassy in Fiji for attempting to interfere in Fiji’s diplomatic affairs, saying Beijing has no right to dictate where Fijian officials can or cannot travel.

Ambassador Chow was responding to China’s formal protest over Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Filipo Tarakinikini, visiting Taiwan this week.

He said China's complaint was “unwarranted and disrespectful,” and accused Beijing of once again exposing the gap between its public claims and its real intentions in the Pacific.

“China says its aid comes with no strings attached, yet here they are trying to control Fiji’s diplomatic decisions,” Chow said. “Fiji is a sovereign nation. No foreign government has the authority to decide who Fijian officials meet with or where they travel.”

“Taiwan has its own elected government, its own military, and its own foreign policy. The facts are clear. China has never ruled Taiwan for a single day,” he added.

The Ambassador stressed that Taiwan’s partnerships in the Pacific are built on cooperation and shared development priorities, not political pressure.

“Our work focuses on climate resilience, healthcare, agriculture, education and community development,” he said. “We do not use money to buy influence. We build real relationships.”

Chow said China's protest contradicts its frequent claim of respecting the sovereignty of other nations and that their foreign aid comes with no strings attached.

“You cannot claim to respect sovereignty while trying to control another country’s decisions. This behaviour is interference, plain and simple.”

The statement from Taiwan in Fiji comes after Ambassador Filipo Tarakinikini met with Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim in Taipei earlier this week. Soon after, the Chinese Embassy lodged a complaint with the Fijian Government, claiming the visit violated the “One China Policy.”

The Chinese Embassy in Suva has not responded to our questions.