Taiwan faces an extremely difficult diplomatic situation because China is suppressing the island “everywhere”, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim said on Friday after Papua New Guinea said it was closing Taipei’s representative office in the country.

Background

The Pacific has long been an area for diplomatic competition between China and Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory with no right to the trappings of a state. The democratically ruled island rejects China’s sovereignty claims.

Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko said on Thursday that Taiwan’s office would be closed, drawing praise from Beijing and condemnation from Taipei. Papua New Guinea, like most countries, only has formal ties with China, not Taiwan.

“Our diplomatic situation is truly extremely difficult. China is suppressing us everywhere — suppressing our chances to survive and to expand our international space,” Hsiao told reporters in Taipei.

Only 12 countries now maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, three of which are in the Pacific – Palau, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.