Kiribati could be close to amending its constitution to stop future governments from switching diplomatic recognition back to Taiwan.
The Pacific nation is located about halfway between Hawaiʻi and Australia. It has switched diplomatic ties between China and Taiwan three times. The most recent was in 2019 when it left Taipei and reestablished diplomatic ties with Beijing.
Australia's ABC News reports the bill does not mention Taiwan or China, but it seems aimed at making it much harder for future Kiribati governments to recognize Taiwan.
Taiwan has not been a member of the United Nations since 1971 when its seat, which it held as the Republic of China, was handed to the People's Republic of China.
China has succeeded in reducing the number of countries that maintain official ties with Taipei. Taiwan still has diplomatic relations with the Pacific nations Marshall Islands, Palau and Tuvalu.
The proposed constitutional change could also complicate Kiribati's ties with five Pacific Islands Forum members — Niue, Tokelau, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and New Caledonia — which are not independent states with full UN membership.
