Island State is Running Out of Patience.

Geopolitics penetrated Wellington last night when at the Republic of China’s national day celebrations there was let rip from the podium a scathing condemnation of Beijing’s veto of Taiwan’s right to participate in the International Civil Aviation Organisation conference.

The veto was calculated to hit the island state’s sensitive spot. Beijing’s official reason was that the veto was the response to Taipei’s recent political developments, writes our diplomatic roundsman.

In effect the ICAO veto snub was calculated to hit Taiwan in one of its newest and most important economic areas – tourism. In the line of Beijing’s fire was also cross-strait investment between the two Chinas.

Also conveniently in this line of fire was President Obama’s Asia pivot in which Taipei is the eastern fulcrum.

Even more directly in the cross-hairs of this is the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement signed off by all contributing nations in Auckland this year.

Beijing views many of these nations, Taiwan especially, as being under its own suzerainty and not Washington’s.

The Taiwan national day is off the beaten track for government people such as diplomats and also for the media.

Usually the event includes a brisk reeling off of the nations’ over achievement in defined areas of productivity, foreign exchange, and growth in general along with the way all this has harmonised with Western-style ambitions in multiculturalism and social equity.

But on this occasion the wraps were taken off and Beijing singled out for its obvious obstructionism.  Officially the Taiwan representation in New Zealand is known as the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office.

Taiwan’s official embassy which was in Burnell Avenue Thorndon was abruptly closed when under the direction of president Richard Nixon the United States recognised Beijing.

The official broadside at the national day was also a reminder to the West which is currently preoccupied and in various forms by the immigration issue and the problems it has spawned.

The United States tilt toward Asia corresponds and thus conflicts with Beijing’s parallel push into this area and simultaneously also into the MENA area, Middle East North Africa.

The strong and deliberate words delivered at the usually subdued Wellington celebration of Taiwan’s national day indicate that the temperature in all this is rising.

From the MSCNewsWire reporters' desk - Thursday 6 October 2016