《TAIPEI TIMES》 Voting begins in Taiwan ally Tuvalu - 焦點 ltn.com.tw - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ltn.com.tw Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
SYDNEY (Reuters) -Voting began on Friday in the tiny Pacific Island nation of Tuvalu in a national election that is being closely watched by China, Taiwan, the US and its ally Australia, amid a tussle for influence in the region. Tuvalu, with a population of about 11,200 spread across nine islands, has campaigned at international conferences for greater action to help low-lying nations address climate change, because science shows its capital Funafuti risks being inundated by tides by 2050. Most of Tuvalu is forecast to be flooded by high tides by 2100, says the United Nations Development Programme, which is working with Tuvalu to bolster its coastline.
A contest for influence in the Pacific between China and the US has seen Washington court Tuvalu with an undersea cable to connect it to global telecommunications.