TAIPEI — The president of the tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru promised on Friday to always stand beside Taiwan as their hearts are "linked as one", as he visited Taipei amid a growing tussle for influence in the region between Beijing and Washington. While the Pacific states are small developing nations, they lie in highly strategic waters dominated by the United States and its allies since World War Two. Democratic Taiwan has faced intense pressure from China, which claims the island as its territory with no right to state-to-state ties, over its remaining diplomatic allies. Taiwan lost two Pacific states in September and now only has 15 formal allies worldwide. Speaking at a welcoming ceremony in Taipei, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen extended a "heartfelt welcome" to Nauru President Lionel Aingimea, who took office in August and stopped over in Taiwan in September on the way back from the United Nations.

Source: International New York Times December 13, 2019 04:52 UTC