A corner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei.
Taipei, Jan. 27 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Saturday congratulated Tuvalu on completing its major elections smoothly while rejecting media reports that Taiwan might be dealing with yet another diplomatic blow in the Pacific region.
Taiwan's ambassador to Tuvalu Ling Tung-heng (林東亨) has congratulated Governor-General Tofiga Falani of Tuvalu and the elected parliamentarians on Friday's elections on behalf of the Republic of China government and its people, MOFA said in a press release.
The Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan's official name) and Tuvalu established formal diplomatic relations in 1979, and bilateral ties over the past 45 years have remained "stable and strong," MOFA said.
Taiwan looked forward to further working with Tuvalu on promoting the Pacific island nation's development and climate change response, it said.
In a separate statement also issued Saturday, MOFA rejected recent media reports suggesting that after its parliamentarian elections Tuvalu might follow in the footsteps of Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China.
"The majority of the known newly elected members of the parliament are supportive of the Taiwan-Tuvalu relationship," MOFA said, noting that those people "maintain a friendly stance [towards Taiwan] and "back the continuation of the ties between the two countries."
The ministry described it as "regrettable" that some media outlets had suggested Taiwan was facing a potential diplomatic setback after a small number of pro-Taiwan politicians lost in Tuvalu's elections.
Despite MOFA's tone, the media speculation may not be entirely groundless.
Tuvaluan Finance Minister Seve Paeniu, who reportedly secured a seat on Friday and is a contender for the country's leadership, told Reuters earlier this week that Tuvalu's ties with Taiwan "need to be debated and reviewed in the new parliament."
Paeniu argued that the voters of Tuvalu wanted more financial support from the international community to help the island nation address climate change and other issues.
In contrast, incumbent Tuvaluan Prime Minister Kausea Natano, who had pledged support for Taiwan, lost his seat in the elections, according to media reports.
The elections of Tuvalu, a tiny island nation with a population of about 11,000, were closely watched following Nauru's diplomatic switch from Taipei to Beijing on Jan. 15, shortly after Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) was elected president.
That left Taiwan with only 12 countries that formally recognize the ROC.
Taipei has criticized Beijing for poaching Nauru, calling the move "a retaliatory act against democratic values and a clear challenge to the stability of the international order."
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