Taiwan has cancelled its delegation to this year's Pacific Islands News Association conference in Solomon Islands.

A spokesman for the Taiwanese embassy in Honiara stated that Taipei have decided to cancel the trip as it prefers to keep a low profile following controversy over its funding of this year's PINA conference.

China had protested that the Media Association of Solomon Islands sees fit to accept a donation of 65,000 US dollars from Taiwan to organize a regional meet such as the PINA conference.

A large delegation from Taiwan's Ministry of Information, including Taiwanese journalists, was expected to attend the annual conference which starts in Honiara next Thursday.