Micronesia’s outgoing president calls to cut ties with PRC, recognize Taiwan
Radio Free Asia
The Federated States of Micronesia’s [FSM] outgoing president has called for his country to recognize Taiwan, accusing the People’s Republic of China (PRC) of “political warfare” in the strategically located Pacific Island Country (PIC).
In a March 2023 letter to state governors and members of Micronesia’s Congress, President David Panuelo, pictured, said he met with Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu in February 2023 to discuss what Taiwan could offer in exchange for Micronesia’s diplomatic recognition.
The aim was “to solicit from Taiwan what their potential assistance to the FSM could look like if we switched diplomatic relations to supporting them instead of China,” Panuelo wrote. Panuelo said he proposed that self-governed Taiwan provide U.S. $50 million for Micronesia’s national trust fund and annual financial assistance of U.S. $15 million.
“All of this assistance, of course, would be on top of the greatly added layers of security and protection that come with our country distancing itself from the PRC,” he wrote.
His 13-page letter alleged that Beijing is aggressively seeking to undermine Micronesia’s sovereignty and institutions so that it would side with Beijing or, at the least, be neutral in any future conflict over Taiwan, which the PRC claims as its territory.
He said the PRC has “demonstrated a keen capability to undermine our sovereignty, rejects our values, and uses our elected and senior officials for their own purposes.” Micronesia established diplomatic relations with the PRC in 1989.
Panuelo lost his congressional seat in early March 2023 elections, Radio New Zealand reported. His letter said a new government will take office in May 2023.
Wu told fellow lawmakers that he and Panuelo discussed diplomatic recognition, Taiwan’s news agency reported.
Beijing accused Panuelo of “smears and accusations,” the Agence France-Presse news agency reported.
Micronesia has faced mounting pressure to sign up to Chinese initiatives, Panuelo wrote. For instance, Beijing relentlessly harassed top Micronesian officials during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of efforts to ship Chinese-made vaccines to the country.
“Simply put, we are witnessing political warfare in our country,” Panuelo wrote. “Over the course of my administration, the scope has increased, as has the depth, as has the gravity.”
He asserted that the PRC’s embassy commonly offers bribes of cash, air travel and other gifts to Micronesian politicians, and that he was threatened by Chinese representatives. “To be clear: I have had direct threats against my personal safety from PRC officials acting in an official capacity,” Panuelo wrote.
IMAGE CREDIT: REUTERS
