Speaking at a media conference in Canberra today, Conroy played down the impact:
The Australian minister for the Pacific, Pat Conroy, said the government was notified in advance of Nauru’s decision to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), a move that led to the severing of such ties with Taiwan. The Australian government says it was not taken by surprise by Nauru’s decision to scrap diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of China – but says it respects the Pacific island country’s right to make its own choices.
