Chinese officials have told the Kiribati government they are taking the tracking station back to China for "upgrading," Kiribati's Secretary for Foreign Affairs Taam Biribo told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

While China has always said the tracking station was used in support of China's space program, there has long been speculation it also monitors a U.S. missile range at Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands, northwest of Kiribati's capital, Tarawa.

Biribo said a heavy lift ship arrived at Tarawa earlier this week and Chinese laborers who had been working on building a sports stadium were busy loading it with equipment from the tracking station, which has been based in Tarawa since the mid-1990s.

"They have told us they are taking the equipment they are using to China for upgrading. That is the information I have received," Biribo said. It was not clear if the entire station would be removed or some buildings left behind.

Liu Jianchao, spokesman for china's Foreign Ministry, on Tuesday criticized Kiribati's decision to recognize Taiwan, but said he had no further information on the fate of the tracking station.

"Since the establishment of ties between Kiribati and Taiwan, the ambassador of China in Kiribati has made solemn representations to the government of Kiribati. We hope they can recognize the situation and correct their erroneous acts," Liu said.

"We will decide what the next step will be after closely observing the situation."

Taiwan seeks formal ties to bolster its claim that the island is a sovereign nation and not part of China. Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949.

Beijing insists that self-governed, democratic Taiwan is part of its territory. China has successfully used its political and economic influence to pressure most nations from recognizing Taiwan. Only 27 countries have formal ties with Taiwan.

Biribo said the Chinese embassy at Tarawa had told the Kiribati government, following Kiribati's recognition of Taiwan earlier this month, that because of the One China policy "they cannot continue to fly their flag where the Taiwan flag is flying.

The Kiribati government is expected to ask Taipei to help complete work on a US$9 million sports center China began two months ago as an aid project.

A collection of low-lying islands and coral atolls in the South Pacific, Kiribati has about 100,000 inhabitants and gained independence from Britain in 1979. Before independence, it was known as the Gilbert Islands.