Palau will build ties with US-Taiwan to resist Chinese aggression: Palauan President

London: – Newly elected President Surangel Whipps of Palau, a small country in the Pacific Ocean, announced, ‘Palau faced many problems for its stand against the Chinese torture. Despite this, our country will not back out from the stand taken against Chinese bullying.’ Simultaneously, Surangel Whipps clarified that the cooperation with the United States and Taiwan would continue. The announcement made by the newly elected President of Palau poses a challenge to the expansionist Chinese policies.

Surangel Whipps, the newly elected President of Palau, a small country in the Micronesia belt in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, gave an interview to a leading British daily. During the interview, Surangel Whipps clarified regarding the future foreign policies of his government. President Surangel Whipps said that the stand taken by the current President Thomas Remengesau regarding China, the United States and Taiwan would continue. Surangel launched an attack on China, saying, ‘The cooperation between Palau and the United States is based on common and democratic values. Today, there is a competition between the United States and China. This competition is also between supporters of freedom and democracy and the countries opposed to them.’ Surangel clarified that the cooperation with the United States is essential against China by saying, ‘The powerful countries try to keep their smaller neighbours under their heels. In such times, you must have a democratic, like-minded and powerful ally.’

Along with the cooperation with the United States, the country’s stand regarding Taiwan will also remain the same. Palau is one of the few countries to recognise the Taiwanese status as an independent country and cooperate with it. President Surangel asserted that the diplomatic ties with Taiwan would remain the same in the times to come. Surangel accused that China caused major damages to Palau for recognising Taiwan as an independent country and establishing diplomatic ties with it.

Saurangel announced during the interview, ‘The countries opposed to the cooperation between Palau and Taiwan made frantic efforts to cause damages to Palau on the international level in the United Nations and in the association of the Pacific countries. These efforts will continue even in the future. But Palau will not back down because of these efforts.’ Last year, China forced the Solomon Islands and Kiribati, two small countries from the Pacific Ocean, who had established diplomatic ties with Taiwan, to join the Chinese group, by exerting pressure. But Palau disregarded the Chinese pressure and maintained its stand that Taiwan is an independent country.

Palau is a strong supporter of Taiwan, and Palau was represented even during the security-related meeting between the United States and Taiwan. At the same time, in September 2020, Palau appealed to the United States to set up military and air bases in the country.