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China 'destablising' Pacific nation
China is trying to take back the strategically placed island of Kiribati. South of Kiribati the Chinese military influence was starting to replace that of Tonga's traditional partners.
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-Am
China 'destablising' Pacific nation
From correspondents in Auckland
20aug04
THE president of Kiribati said he believed China was trying to destabilise his Government by continuing to refuse to withdraw three diplomats from the central Pacific nation.
President Anote Tong's Kiribati Government cut diplomatic ties with Beijing after coming to power in November and transferred allegiance to the rival government in Taiwan.
The decision – part of a diplomatic battle between China and Taiwan – forced China to close a satellite-monitoring base on the main atoll of Tarawa.
Mr Tong said today three Chinese men, including a diplomat of ambassadorial level, remained in the large complex on Tarawa.
"Why are they there, we don't see much of them," he said, adding that the issue had been dragging on for three months.
Opposition politicians had been seen visiting the building and China had offered no explanation, he said.
"We are always concerned because you must ask the question, what are their objectives and you begin to imagine a number of things," he said.
"Of course it could be the PRC's (China) expectation of a change of attitude. How that would come about? Either we change our attitude or we have a change of government."
Mr Tong said while politically Kiribati appeared calm, "it's a small country, and with resources and outside assistance anything can be done in a very short time".
An unidentified person who answered a telephone at the former embassy building today would not make any comment.
Opposition leader Harry Tong, who is the president's brother, could not be contacted for comment.
However, last week he told Television New Zealand that he believed Taiwan, not China, was the real threat to Kiribati.
China claims the island of Taiwan as part of its territory even though the two sides have been ruled separately for more than half a century.
China works hard to isolate Taiwan on the international stage, but 26 small nations do recognise the government in Taipei over Beijing.
Kiribati, which straddles the equator and the international dateline and was formally known as the Gilbert Islands, is made up of 33 atolls and one high island with a combined land area of 811sq km.
Last year its 100,000 people were drawn into a protracted political battle during which it emerged Chinese Ambassador Shuxue Ma said he had donated $5,132 to a co-operative society.
The donation and the presence of the satellite base were election issues.
Although remote, Kiribati's position on the equator makes it attractive for the aerospace industry.
The giant Sealaunch Boeing-led consortium launch satellites from a converted oil rig near Kiribati while Japan's National Space Development Agency planned to build a space station on an isolated atoll.
Tarawa is about 1000km south of the US Army missile-testing base at Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,10508919%255E1702,00.html
China is trying to take back the strategically placed island of Kiribati. South of Kiribati the Chinese military influence was starting to replace that of Tonga's traditional partners.
#msg-3377985
-Am
China 'destablising' Pacific nation
From correspondents in Auckland
20aug04
THE president of Kiribati said he believed China was trying to destabilise his Government by continuing to refuse to withdraw three diplomats from the central Pacific nation.
President Anote Tong's Kiribati Government cut diplomatic ties with Beijing after coming to power in November and transferred allegiance to the rival government in Taiwan.
The decision – part of a diplomatic battle between China and Taiwan – forced China to close a satellite-monitoring base on the main atoll of Tarawa.
Mr Tong said today three Chinese men, including a diplomat of ambassadorial level, remained in the large complex on Tarawa.
"Why are they there, we don't see much of them," he said, adding that the issue had been dragging on for three months.
Opposition politicians had been seen visiting the building and China had offered no explanation, he said.
"We are always concerned because you must ask the question, what are their objectives and you begin to imagine a number of things," he said.
"Of course it could be the PRC's (China) expectation of a change of attitude. How that would come about? Either we change our attitude or we have a change of government."
Mr Tong said while politically Kiribati appeared calm, "it's a small country, and with resources and outside assistance anything can be done in a very short time".
An unidentified person who answered a telephone at the former embassy building today would not make any comment.
Opposition leader Harry Tong, who is the president's brother, could not be contacted for comment.
However, last week he told Television New Zealand that he believed Taiwan, not China, was the real threat to Kiribati.
China claims the island of Taiwan as part of its territory even though the two sides have been ruled separately for more than half a century.
China works hard to isolate Taiwan on the international stage, but 26 small nations do recognise the government in Taipei over Beijing.
Kiribati, which straddles the equator and the international dateline and was formally known as the Gilbert Islands, is made up of 33 atolls and one high island with a combined land area of 811sq km.
Last year its 100,000 people were drawn into a protracted political battle during which it emerged Chinese Ambassador Shuxue Ma said he had donated $5,132 to a co-operative society.
The donation and the presence of the satellite base were election issues.
Although remote, Kiribati's position on the equator makes it attractive for the aerospace industry.
The giant Sealaunch Boeing-led consortium launch satellites from a converted oil rig near Kiribati while Japan's National Space Development Agency planned to build a space station on an isolated atoll.
Tarawa is about 1000km south of the US Army missile-testing base at Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,10508919%255E1702,00.html
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