The current page of Taiwan's office in Fiji (screenshot from https://www.roc-taiwan.org/fj_en/). The current page of Taiwan's office in Fiji (screenshot from https://www.roc-taiwan.org/fj_en/).

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Saturday (July 13) it had protested to the Pacific island nation of Fiji as Chinese pressure had forced it to change the name of the Taiwanese office.

The office would have to replace the name “Trade Mission of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the Republic of Fiji” with Taipei Trade Office in Fiji, the Liberty Times reported.

The two countries had maintained close if unofficial relations since 1971, with cooperation in fields like healthcare, fisheries and agriculture, yet China had used its growing financial clout to bully Fiji into demanding the name change, according to the report.

MOFA said it had protested, but was also continuing efforts to persuade Fiji to reverse its decision.

Over the past few years, China has meddled in several countries’ unofficial relations with Taiwan, with the most blatant example the name change and move of the Taiwanese office in Nigeria from the capital Abuja to the city of Lagos in 2017.

