The island of Tulagi in the Pacific Ocean is now at the center of a strategic game of diplomatic chess. This isn't a common description for the Solomon Islands, but since it established diplomatic ties with China last month, the US and Taiwan have sat up and taken notice. An Island with only about 1200 inhabitants, Tulagi has been leased to a Chinese company as part of a 'strategic cooperation agreement.' The company intends to develop a refinery on the island, but its potential use as a military base has experts worried. The deal came about after the Solomon Islands broke off diplomatic ties with Taiwan. The diplomatic loss was a strategic gain for China, which now has an island in waters that have traditionally been under the US sphere of influence. China claims these islands and unilaterally drew this nine dash line to claim all of this. Taiwan also has claims here, but all that seems to have been ignored. Taipei Representative to Germany Hsieh Chihwei joined DW to discuss the issue.
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