The leader of one of Taiwan’s last diplomatic allies in the Pacific said his nation is under increasing pressure from China to end its support for Taipei.
Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr. also accused China of violating the exclusive economic zone of his nation, an archipelago located north of Australia. Palau is scheduled to hold a national election on Tuesday, the same day as the U.S. presidential ballot.
Whipps, in an interview with Bloomberg, said Pacific nations are determined to maintain their sovereignty and territorial integrity, but warned the struggle for geopolitical influence is intensifying and will test them. Washington and Beijing have been vying for sway in a region that is the site of key shipping lanes and communication cables, together with fisheries and seabed minerals.
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