Taiwan's Vanuatu claim disputed

Vanuatu's prime minister apparently sealed the deal on Wednesday

Beijing is disputing Taiwan's claim to have established diplomatic links with the tiny Pacific island of Vanuatu.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman said officials from Vanuatu had said the country would not switch diplomatic recognition from Beijing to Taipei.

The comment appeared to contradict Taiwan's claim on Wednesday that Vanuatu had become its diplomatic ally.

Establishment of formal links would be a victory for Taiwan in its competition with China for global recognition.

Beijing considers Taiwan as part of its territory, and has used its growing economic power to try and further isolate the island diplomatically.

If Vanuatu has established ties with Taiwan, it would be the 27th country to choose ties with Taipei over Beijing. Many Pacific countries have been lured over with promises of economic rewards - something China has dismissed as "dollar diplomacy".

But on Thursday, China denied that Vanuatu had switched sides.

Vanuatu's acting president and foreign minister "said the Vanuatu government will not change its 'one China' policy and will not establish diplomatic relations with Taiwan", Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue told a news conference.

On Wednesday Vanuatu's Prime Minister, Serge Vohor, joined Taiwanese Foreign Minister Mark Chen in Taipei to announce the new link.

But even then, there seemed to be some confusion within Vanuatu itself.

"This is a complete reversal of our One China policy of recognising mainland China," George Manuri, Vanuatu's foreign affairs department director-general, told the French news agency AFP.

Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Kau Ying-mao said on Thursday that Mr Vohor had tried to switch allegiance twice before, "but the bid eventually faltered due to China's pressure... That's why he (Vohor) kept his Taipei visit secret this time".