00:06China has erupted over Taiwan's presence at a major Pacific summit, warning there
00:12will be consequences after the rivals ended up in the same room. Taiwan's Foreign Minister
00:18Lin Xiaolong attended the opening of the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau,
00:23alongside Anthony Albanese and other regional leaders. China's Pacific envoy
00:29Qianbo said Beijing had lodged diplomatic objections with Palau and the forum over
00:34Taiwan's presence. But Palau's president Sir Angel Whips pushed back, saying Pacific
00:45nations should decide their own agenda and choose their own partners. Mr Albanese backed that
00:52position, saying the Pacific Islands Forum determined what happened at the summit, not any other country.
01:04China is a dialogue partner of the forum, while Taiwan has lesser status as a development
01:10partner. The diplomatic stoush comes as China and Western powers compete for influence across
01:17the Pacific.
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