U.S.-China tussle over Palau

 Direct translation

U.S.-China tussle over Palau: The Washington Post reveals Beijing's "playing the long game" to catch a bigger fish

Editor : Liu Mingxiang / "News Direct" Production Team / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2025/07/30/a104007638.html /  Image : The picture shows the natural landscape of the Pacific island nation of Palau. (Mikhail Flores/AFP via Getty Images)

As the Chinese Communist Party continues to expand in the Indo-Pacific region, the United States is also accelerating the upgrading of its military facilities in the Pacific, and the strategic game between the United States and China is becoming increasingly fierce.

The Washington Post reported today (30 July 2025) that the United States is currently building a large early warning radar in Palau and will begin expanding and upgrading facilities at the local major port of Malakal Harbor next year to facilitate the deployment and resupply of U.S. warships. Furthermore, the United States plans to build a logistics hub at the port to enable the U.S. military to quickly mobilize forces in the event of a conflict.

However, a review of intelligence documents and interviews with nearly 20 U.S., Palauan, and Taiwanese officials by The Washington Post revealed that the Chinese Communist Party is gradually infiltrating Palau through commercial investment. Chinese companies have leased land and constructed buildings under the guise of tourism development near the port of Malakal, the airport, U.S. coast guard outposts, and a U.S, military over-the-horizon radar system. This has sparked concerns among local officials, who believe this could expose critical U.S. military facilities to security threats.

Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. stated that the Chinese Communist Party's tactics in the region are "very sophisticated" and clearly a "long-term strategy," urging Palau to remain vigilant.

Palau, located east of the Philippines and part of the Micronesian archipelago, holds a strategically important position. During World War II, fierce fighting broke out between the U.S. and Japan there.

Whipps revealed that shortly after his 2020 election, the Chinese Communist ambassador to Micronesia called him and offered to send one million tourists to Palau annually but demanded that Palau sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Palau is currently one of only three countries in the Pacific Ocean that recognize Taiwan.

Taiwanese Ambassador to Palau, Li Qianyi, emphasized that these developments not only affect Palau but also the security of Taiwan and the United States. If a cross-strait war breaks out, the Chinese Communist Party could cut Palau's external cables and interfere with U.S. military operations.

Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Abraham Denmark also warned that Beijing has conducted in-depth research on key regions like Palau and is "clearly seeking to disrupt US military operations."

Furthermore, The Washington Post revealed that the Chinese Communist Party has been frequently involved in violence, drugs, and corruption in Palau in recent years. Whipps believes this may be Beijing's attempt to sow chaos in the region and force Palau to shift its diplomatic focus. The U.S. Embassy in Palau has requested that Washington send law enforcement and drug enforcement personnel to the region to combat crime.