New Delhi, Aug. 6 -- Samoa caretaker Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa has issued a strong warning that her government would find it "very difficult" to attend the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum if the long-standing practice of allowing Taiwan to participate is changed.

Mata'afa's remarks come amid moves to exclude Taiwan from the Forum's annual Leaders' Meeting in Honiara this September, a decision she says risks damaging the integrity of the regional body.

"Well this issue began to raise its head at the last meeting in Tonga, and I made it quite clear that at the retreat the leaders made the decision that we would retain the practise with our dialogue partners where those countries who had deep relations with Taiwan would have the o...