China warns of 'consequences' over Taiwan's attendance at Pacific leaders meeting

A Taiwan flag flutters in Keelung, Taiwan on Dec 30, 2025. (Photo: Reuters/Ann Wang) 01 Sep 2026 10:14AM SYDNEY: China said it had serious concerns about Taiwan's presence at the annual Pacific Islands Forum in Palau, warning of "consequences" after the democratically ruled island attended the group's opening ceremony on Monday (Aug 31).China views Taiwan as its own territory, and China-Taiwan tensions have featured prominently at the meeting, which was intended to demonstrate regional unity."There will always be consequences," Qian Bo, China's special envoy for Pacific island affairs, said of Taiwan attending the event. "It's not a threat," he said without specifying what the consequences would be."This is objected to by all, so this should not have happened. We think it's very inappropri