Palau president hits out at China as re-election confirmed

The president says Chinese research vessels keep coming to Palau’s waters.

The pro-Western president of Palau has hit out at China as his re-election was confirmed.

The electoral committee formally declared President Surangel Whipps Jr’s victory in the vote on Wednesday. He was quick to double down on his pro-US credentials as he joined the chorus of complaints over China’s maritime claims.

The results showed that Whipps won 5,626 votes, defeating his brother-in-law Tommy Remengesau, who received 4,103 votes in the November 5 election.

The count hands the incumbent a second term leading the island nation of about 20,000 people. Located in the Pacific Ocean between the spheres of influence of Washington and Beijing, Palau is an important US ally and among a dozen diplomatic allies of Taiwan.

On having his victory confirmed, Whipps said in a statement he would seek to diversify the economy and protect the environment.

Palau this year renewed a deal with Washington that will see it receive $890m in economic assistance in return for allowing continued US military access to its maritime zone, airspace and land.

Lurking

In comments to the AFP news agency, Whipps reiterated accusations against China of disregarding the island nation’s maritime borders.

Referring to Chinese research vessels lurking “uninvited” within Palau’s waters, he said: “They continually don’t respect our sovereignty and our boundaries.”

He added that Chinese authorities have named two underwater mountains claimed by Palau, in what is viewed as another provocative move.

Palau is also “concerned,” he said, about confrontations between vessels from China and the Philippines over shoals in the South China Sea.

During his first term, Whipps repeatedly said “presence is deterrence” in reference to increased US military presence in Palau, and characterized the Pacific Island country as “part of the US homeland” when it comes to security.

The military collaboration has included ongoing construction of a long-range US radar outpost, a crucial early warning system as China ramps up military manoeuvres in the Taiwan Strait.

Increasingly pivoting away from China, the island nation is also one of few to recognise Taiwan’s independence, leading Beijing to blacklist Palau as a tourist destination, affecting its revenues from visitors.