Dear Editor, President Surangel Whipps Jr. told the BBC in 2025: “No matter what we do, Palau is going to be the center of any military activity because of our location.” That statement may be true geographically, but it raises a deeper question: If Palau cannot change its location, can we change how we choose […]
Tag: Pacific geopolitics
Posted inIn Focus
What’s Wrong With US Pacific Islands Policy?
It’s the relationships, stupid. Credit: Cleo Paskal By Cleo Paskal There is currently an active debate about U.S. policy in the Pacific Islands. Some are saying the U.S. is AWOL in the region. Others have said this is one of the most active times for U.S. engagement, including the Heritage Foundation, which just published a […]
Posted inWorld News
Albanese tells China and US the Indo-Pacific not a ‘chessboard’ for superpowers
By national affairs correspondent Jane Norman in New York In short: (ABC-Australia) In a major foreign policy speech, Anthony Albanese has declared the post-1945 world order “is no longer fit for purpose”, and issued a warning to China and the US. The prime minister has signed a decade-long security agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, […]
Posted inIn Focus
U.S allies in Asia alarmed as think tank calls for pullback
Analysts warn that a U.S withdrawal from the western Pacific, as recently suggested by a think tank, would weaken deterrence and strengthen China’s position. By Julian Ryall WASHINGTON, 16 SEPTEMBER 2026 (DW)—A study by a U.S foreign policy think tank advocates a major military pullback from the western Pacific, prompting concern among long-standing allies of […]
Posted inIn Focus
China’s Attempts To Create Distrust Within Palau Shows Where the CCP Vulnerable
By: Cleo Paskal “The crumbling of a regime always starts in the realm of ideas. Changing the way people think is a long-term process. Once the front lines of human thought have been broken through, other defensive lines also become harder to defend.” – Xi Jinping Last week, Palauan legislators and their family members suddenly […]
Posted inPacific News
Kiribati considers constitutional change to cement diplomatic recognition of China
TARAWA, 27 AUGUST 2026 (ABC) — Kiribati could be on the brink of amending its constitution to stop future governments from switching diplomatic recognition back to Taiwan, with its parliament set to vote on a bill declaring that maintaining ties with countries not recognised by the United Nations is “embarrassing” and like a poor marriage. […]