TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) asked Palau’s Minister of State Gustav Aitaro to support Taiwan at the Pacific Islands Forum, reports said Saturday.

The Solomon Islands host the Sept. 8-12 forum leaders meeting, but Taiwan, the US, and China were not invited this time. Even though Taiwan has been a forum partner country since 1993, pressure from China was believed to have been behind the break in practice.

Lin told Aitaro at a meeting Friday that he hoped the Palau minister would use the diverse and tolerant spirit of the “Pacific Way” to voice support for Taiwan at the summit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. As Palau is hosting the annual forum next year, Taiwan hopes to present the achievements of its bilateral cooperation to the attending leaders.

Aitaro was visiting Taiwan to take part in the International Forum on Police Cooperation. He lauded the host country’s successes in crime prevention and promised to continue support for its bid to join Interpol.