Tuvalu Changes PM, Adds to Concerns Over Backing for Taiwan in Pacific

Tuvalu Changes PM, Adds to Concerns Over Backing for Taiwan in Pacific
Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sosene Sopoaga addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S. on Sept. 27, 2018. Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
Reuters
Updated:

Parliament in the tiny South Pacific country of Tuvalu elected a new prime minister on Sept. 19, making a change that some analysts say could give China a chance to further undermine Taiwan in a region that has been a pillar of support.

The surprise change in Tuvalu has lengthened the shadow over Taiwan’s standing in the South Pacific after the Solomon Islands earlier this week cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan, leaving it holding formal relations with just 16 countries.