Tuvalu parliamentarians choose prime minister, Beijing and Taipei watch closely. The new elected official will have to make a major choice: continue to support Taiwan or cut all diplomatic ties, as one candidate proposes, to turn to China.
Only three Pacific microstates still recognize Taiwan. Washington is trying to expand its zone of influence in the Pacific, with radar construction projects, the opening of embassies, and financial aid. In 2019, it was the Solomon Islands that severed diplomatic ties with Taipei. In total, since 2016, seven official allies have turned away from the island.