Resolution 1290 was adopted unopposed, although China abstained due to concerns over Tuvalu's relationship with Taiwan.

Tuvalu is a Polynesian island country situated in the Pacific Ocean; it has a population of approximately 11,000 people (as of July 2018[update]).

[1] Tuvalu was colonised by the United Kingdom in the late nineteenth century, and in 1892 it became a protectorate as a part of the general British Western Pacific Territories.

[5] In 1998 the Tuvaluan government began discussions with the International Telecommunication Union with the aim of selecting a partner who would manage .tv, the nation's top-level Internet domain.

[10] A similar situation had occurred with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1249, when Nauru's membership had been ratified despite China's abstention.