Voting begins in tiny Tuvalu in election that reverberates from China to Australia
NPR Online NewsJAN 2024
Voting Concludes in Tuvalu Election
Image copyright: Sean Gallup/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Anti-China narrative
While it's true that many countries have been pressured by Beijing to cut ties with their former friend Taiwan, that doesn't mean Tuvalu needs or wants to end its diplomatic relations. The two islands have shared strong ties on many issues, including agriculture, fisheries, and health — areas in which diplomatic cooperation is paramount. The two countries also share values that Beijing doesn't respect: freedom and democracy.
Pro-China narrative
Tuvalu officials have already hinted at the potential for their government to correct course and respect China's sovereignty related to Taiwan. Now that Nauru — another small island nation — has withstood the pressure of Western governments, Tuvalu should feel secure enough to ignore Western rhetoric and join the majority of the world in distancing itself from Taiwan and strengthening its already-strong relationship with Beijing.