Taiwan congratulates ex-ally Solomon Islands on completing election

Taipei, May 7 (CNA) A senior Taiwanese diplomat on Tuesday congratulated the Solomon Islands, Taiwan's former diplomatic ally, on the latter's election of a new prime minister last week.

Peter Lan (藍夏禮), head of the Ministry of Foreign Affair's (MOFA) Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, also said Taiwan's government is open to exploring any possibility of future cooperation with the ex-ally, as it is with any Pacific country it does not have official diplomatic ties with.

However, Lan declined to answer directly when asked whether it is possible Taiwan could explore closer relations or even re-establish official ties with the Solomon Islands after it picked former Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele as its new prime minister, who pledged to stick with Beijing.

"We do not rule out any possibility [for closer relations with the Solomon Islands] when the time is ripe," Lan said, without elaborating, during a MOFA press event.

Manele assumed office on May 2, filling the vacancy left by his predecessor Manasseh Sogavare, after defeating opposition leader Matthew Wale in a 31-to-18 vote in the newly elected 50-seat parliament in late April.

Under the Sogavare administration, in which Manele served as foreign minister, the Pacific island switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China soon after his election in 2019.

Taiwan had originally hoped that a new Solomon Islands prime minister could mean closer ties or even an opportunity to restore bilateral official relations.

During the election campaign, Wale criticized Sogavare for not consulting the provinces before switching ties from Taiwan to China, which led to a situation in which the Solomon Islands' largest province, Malaita, has consistently refused to cooperate with Beijing.

Another opposition leader, Peter Kenilorea Jr., also said during the campaign that if his United Party was elected to government in the April elections, it would seek to reestablish diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

MOFA spokesman Jeff Liu (劉永健) said in February that Taiwan welcomes any opportunity to elevate its international status and expand its global presence, when asked to comment on the remarks by the Solomon Islands opposition leader.

Taiwan "will not set any preconditions for establishing relations with a foreign country," he said back then.

Since President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) first took office in May 2016, Taiwan has lost 10 diplomatic allies to China amid deteriorating cross-Taiwan Strait relations.

The most recent ally to switch sides was the Pacific island country of Nauru, on Jan. 15.