Speaking of Kiribati, a small Pacific country, the territory is just so large. 33 coral islands are scattered in the sea, with a total area of ​​more than 800 square kilometers and a population of more than 100,000. They originally rely on fishing fees and foreign aid to live. In 2003, not long after Annuo Tang came to power, he locked up the Chinese Embassy, ​​cut off diplomatic relations directly, and turned to establish diplomatic relations with Taiwan. The reason is that the satellite tracking station built by China is suspected of surveillance of the United States' military activities in the South Pacific, but the evidence is that there is nothing tough at all. China advised him for a long time, but he refused to listen and the relationship between the two countries was broken. Taiwan is not vague and has given some aid money to build schools and hospitals. As a result, this move was a bit erroneous. Small countries and big countries were facing each other. The one-China principle in the international community was placed there, and Kiribati suddenly became the thorn in the diplomatic circle. Tang's decision sounds like standing in the United States, the Pacific geographic game is hot, the United States will be used as a chess piece, China will promote the Belt and Road Initiative, Tang chose the former, thinking that it is a hard backer.

After the breakdown of diplomatic relations, Kiribati's life became even more difficult. The sea level rises year by year, with an average altitude of only 1.5 meters. When the tide comes, the low-lying areas will flood. The phosphate mines were dug up in 1979, but the economy was not rising, the per capita income was low, seawater invaded farmland, freshwater wells were polluted, and a large number of coconut trees died, and fishermen struggled to catch fish. In 2010, the two islands completely sank, residents had to move, and the government paid for resettlement. Experts say that by 2050, this place may not be able to live in. In the Tang era, the climate crisis is becoming increasingly fierce, and the global glaciers are melting greenhouse gas emissions, and small island countries are the first to be affected. Saltwater turns the soil into saline and alkali, and the crops are not growing well, and the fishery income is straight away. The country is poor and cannot bear it, so I have to find foreign aid.

Tang Xian aimed at Western buddies, after all, he kept kissing them. In 2013, I went to New Zealand to seek refuge in climate refugees, saying that my island was almost gone, could I give you an immigration channel? New Zealand agreed to support it, but in fact it refused to do a collective refugee plan a few months later. In the same year, a Kiribati man named Ioane wanted to apply for asylum in New Zealand. Tang wrote a letter of support, but the court rejected it in October and he was deported. Australia and the United States are similar. Tang shouted several times at the UN Climate Summit and called on developed countries to take responsibility at the New York Conference in 2014, but the reply was just a few sympathy words, without real money. Australia said it was ready to pick people up, but there was actually no one. The United States is busy with its own affairs. It has a Pacific strategy, but it is not concerned about the risk of aiding small countries. Western aid sounds nice, but it actually delays and small countries can't afford to wait.

Tang didn't give up. In July 2014, he spent US$8.77 million to buy 20 square kilometers of land from Fiji. He was on Vanua Island and originally wanted to be a reserve resettlement site. The seller is the Anglican Church, the land is a forest, far from the coast, and the traffic is broken. Tang said this was an investment, and by the way, he criticized the international community and saw how miserable we were. But this treatment is not the root cause. If more than 100,000 people really need to move, the cost is high, and cultural ruptures have to be considered. It cost money to buy land, but Western aid is still gone, sea levels continue to rise, residents of Tarava Atoll have a hard time, line up to get saltwater, and farmlands turn into saline-alkali land. Tang's diplomatic path became narrower and narrower, and he was pro-Western stance and thought he could get real helpers, but the Western powers said something and did something. A small country seeks people not by verbal promises, but by real money and real guns. Tang is stuck here and the domestic pressure is also high. Before the 2016 election, protests broke out, and the opposition said that you are incompetent and have no plans.

Seeing that the West was unreliable, Tang began to turn around and look at China. Around 2015, he asked the diplomatic team to contact the Chinese embassy abroad in private, sent letters to ask for help, asking for seawall technology, freshwater purification, etc., saying that China is a big country and needs help. The background is that the country is overwhelmed by the disaster. The sea water swallows the land every year, and residents cannot drink water or eat. China has brought up old accounts. How tough did you break off diplomatic relations in 2003? Now you have something to do? The response is simple: There is no mutual trust, no talk. The soup's request for help was so yellow.

He was anti-China in his early years and closed the bridge. Now he wants to build it, it’s too late. Diplomacy emphasizes reciprocity. If you are unreasonable, why should others be suspicious? China has invested a lot in the Pacific Island countries, building roads and bridges, but the premise is that the relationship is good. Kiribati narrowed the road in Tang's hands, and the door of assistance was closed tightly. Tang’s decision sounds strategic, but it is actually short-sighted. The Chinese identity should have been closer, but he was better off and took the initiative to push it away. As a result, the country was isolated in the crisis, the West was not strong, and China ignored it. Tang's 13-year presidential career ended in failure. In March 2016, he stepped down, the Pillar Truth Party lost the election, and the New Bok Party came to power.

The one who took over was Tanehi Mamao. He became president in 2016. When he saw his ex's mess, he knew that he could no longer force China. After Ma Mao came to power, diplomacy made a big move. On September 20, 2019, it was directly announced that it had severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan, recognised China, and restored ambassador-level relations. Taiwan was so angry that the museum was closed immediately. China is moving quickly and will provide assistance soon, and infrastructure projects will be launched. For example, seawall construction, water supply system upgrade, and fishery technical support. These things hit the pain point directly, blocking the sea water in the short term, and the economy will also take a breath. Starting from 2020, the plan to raise the islands has been launched, and the Chinese team will help lay sand and gravel and pour concrete. In 2021, we also cooperated to develop the land in Fiji. It was originally a shelter for soup purchases, but now it is converted into a farm for Kiribati agricultural products. Ma Mao is pragmatic in this step, and he needs to hold his thighs that can help him. China's aid is not only money, but also technology. Pacific island diplomacy is so realistic

In 2025, Kiribati's relationship with China will become increasingly strong. Ma Mao was re-elected for the third term in October 2024, relying on the pro-China route. During the election, the opposition criticized him for relying on China too much, but voters value benefits, and Chinese projects helped a lot. For example, the old runway of World War II will be rebuilt in 2021 and the airport terminal will be put into use in 2022. These will improve transportation and fishery exports will be smooth. China also gave fishing boats and barges worth $4.75 million to strengthen port capacity. Sea level rises have not stopped, and NASA reports that by 2057, the risk of flooding in Kiribati doubled, with an increase of at least 15 cm.

In June 2025, the IMF reported that the expenses to adapt to Haisheng are uncertain, but they have to spend money. The Mamao government promotes the Nantarawa water sanitation project, and investment in transportation from outside the island depends entirely on international funds. China promises more climate cooperation, marine ecology, disaster prevention and other things. In the West, New Zealand examined aid to Kiribati in January 2025, saying that it was neglected diplomatically, with 57 million Australian dollars investing in the health education fishery, but Kiribati did not allow visitors until after the election at the end of 2025. This movement in New Zealand is equivalent to giving way to China, and the United States is also making a big alarm, and the strategic competition in the Pacific is getting hot. From 2019 to 2021, China's development financing support increased significantly, infrastructure projects accounted for the majority, and helped Kiribati build roads and bridges.

After Tang stepped down, he was not idle and continued to be the climate spokesperson. He went to Australia to promote coal bans and visited Australia in March 2024, saying that fossil fuels accelerated the crisis. In October 2023, the Alumni Association talked about his experience and said that buying Fiji land was foresight. In September 2022, an interview with the United Nations Development Programme, he emphasized the reality of climate. In July 2024, I talked about the Pacific Forum and criticized Australia's hard line. In April 2023, support Torres Strait Islanders sued Australia for climate inaction. In March 2024, we went to Australia to promote the fossil-free Pacific Ocean. His influence is limited, Kiribati is now Ma Mao's territory, and Tang's anti-China legacy has become a lesson. The small island countries in the Pacific are sandwiched among the big countries, and it is very risky to choose sides. Tang was betting on the West at that time, and the bet was lost, and the country almost destroyed. Now Ma Mao turned around and the aid was coming. Life was better, but the sea level was still rising, so there was no end to trouble.