Located in the Pacific, the tiny island of Tuvalu recently held an election that is being closely watched by the United States, China, Taiwan, and Australia.
There are a little over 6,000 registered voters on the island, which has a population of around 11,200 people. However, the big guys are keeping a close watch on the election for several reasons.
What Is The Election's Significance?
The election will be watched from Beijing and Taipei to Canberra, as citizens choose a 16-seat parliament followed by negotiations and then a prime minister.
The current Prime Minister, Kausea Natano, is attempting to raise the islands 4 to 5 meters above sea level through land reclamation, reported The Associated Press.
Another reason is that Tuvalu, unlike the United States and other nations, formally recognizes Taiwan as an independent nation. But the population, which is spread across nine islands, is deeply concerned with climate change. This puts them in a bind with China.
According to studies, the low-lying nation will be inundated by ocean water by 2050 and completely submerged by 2100. Both China and the United States have made overtures to Tuvalu, with each pledging to offer significant concessions.
The United States, for example, is offering to connect the population to global telecommunications by way of undersea cable. Tuvalu is but one of three remaining allies of Taiwan.
The nation of Nauru cut ties with Taipei this month to resume diplomatic relations with China, which has stated it would help the Micronesian island state to develop.
Worth noting is that Nauru uses the Australian dollar as its official currency and is geographically closer to Austrailia than to mainland China.
Taiwan believes that China is trying to usurp Tuvalu by manipulating its election and pushing it further away from Taipei. Tuvalu has been a diplomatic ally to Taiwan since 1979.
The country signed a security and migration agreement with Australia in November that allows Canberra, the capital of Australia, to vet security ties. Tuvalu rejected the deal but has stated it would consider certain aspects of it.
