Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Monday criticized the Taiwan regional authorities over reported increases in aid and cash grants to Palau, condemning the Lai Ching-te authorities for using "dollar diplomacy" to pursue "Taiwan independence" and serve the interests of a small number of political beneficiaries.

The so-called "relations" maintained by a handful of countries, including Palau, with the Taiwan region are not aimed at serving the fundamental interests of their countries and peoples, but rather at allowing a small number of vested-interest actors to line their own pockets, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday. 

Mao made the remarks when asked about a recent report by the Solomon Star, which indicated that the Taiwan regional authorities had increased aid to Palau from $18 million last year to $25 million this year, apparently in an attempt to win political support at the Pacific Islands Forum.

The report also said that the Taiwan regional authorities had provided nearly $281,000 in direct cash to Palauan political figures, including a former president as well as current politicians and lawmakers, in the form of direct cash payments. It said the money came from the hard-earned taxes of people in Taiwan but had not been used to address livelihood issues.

Mao said the report once again showed that the Lai authorities are accustomed to squandering the hard-earned money of people in the Taiwan region on "dollar diplomacy," while using such practices to engage in corruption, profit-seeking, interest transfers and power-for-money deals in pursuit of "Taiwan independence" separatism and personal political calculations.

Global Times