“Kiribati could be on the brink of amending its constitution to stop future governments from switching diplomatic recognition back to Taiwan, with its parliament set to vote on a bill declaring that maintaining ties with countries not recognised by the United Nations is ’embarrassing’ and like a poor marriage.”
“The Pacific nation has switched diplomatic recognition between China and Taiwan three times, most recently in 2019 when it dumped Taipei and re-established diplomatic ties with Beijing.”
“Since then, Kiribati’s president, Taneti Maamau, has established a very warm relationship with China, emerging as one of its strongest supporters in the region…”
“The proposed constitutional change could also theoretically complicate Kiribati’s ties with five Pacific Islands Forum members — Niue, Tokelau, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and New Caledonia — which are not independent states with full UN membership.”
“But the bill seeks to avoid this complication by saying that the constitutional change does not apply to Non-Self-Governing Territories, which include New Caledonia and French Polynesia, or ‘states and territories in free association with a UN member state’, which include Niue, Cook Islands and Tokelau.”