China expands influence in Pacific, further isolating Taiwan

TAIPEI, Taiwan — For the second time in a week, a Pacific island nation has decided to break diplomatic ties with Taiwan in order to establish official relations with China, further isolating Taiwan diplomatically as Beijing spreads its wealth to court the handful of nations that still recognize the government in Taipei.

The government of the small island nation of Kiribati notified Taiwan’s government on Friday that it was terminating diplomatic relations with Taipei. Kiribati’s decision came only four days after the government of the Solomon Islands abandoned ties with Taiwan to recognize China.

The decisions by Kiribati and the Solomon Islands are likely to ripple through domestic politics in Taiwan, where presidential and legislative elections are less than four months away. They underline the growing geostrategic competition between Beijing and Washington in the Pacific, where the United States has long held naval dominance.

Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, a close U.S. ally, is fighting for re-election against a China-friendly opponent, Han Kuo-yu. Kiribati’s decision left only 15 countries with diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Washington has been pressuring Pacific countries that recognize Taiwan to maintain their relations with Taipei in order to prevent further expansion of Beijing’s growing influence in the region, which could undermine the United States should a military conflict erupt with China.

In a statement released Friday, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “deeply regrets and strongly condemns the Kiribati government’s decision.”