Taiwan wades into hotly contested Pacific with its own coronavirus diplomacy

A sign with flags of (R-L) Tuvalu, Nauru, Taiwan, Marshall Islands and Palau is seen before a ceremony to donate masks to Taiwan's Pacific allies, at the foreign ministry in Taipei, Taiwan April 15, 2020. REUTERS/Ben Blanchard

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan waded into the hotly contested politics of the Pacific on Wednesday, donating face masks and thermal cameras to its four diplomatic allies there to combat the coronavirus in a region where China is challenging traditional power the United States.

The small developing nations lie in the highly strategic waters of the Pacific, dominated since World War Two by the United States and its friends, who have been concerned over China's moves to expand its footprint there.