U.S. defense chief says China destabilizing Pacific
30 August, 2020
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper accused China of "destabilizing" the Pacific region Friday on a whistle-stop trip to the tiny island nation of Palau.
The visit, which lasted barely three hours, comes as Washington attempts to counter Beijing's efforts to get influence in the sparsely populated but strategically important Pacific island nations.
Esper said america and Palau shared values of freedom "where all countries respect the rules and norms for peace and prosperity of most nations".
"That is especially important today, as we continue work alongside our allies and partners to safeguard that international system that's under threat from China and its ongoing destabilizing activities in the region," he said.
Beijing has enjoyed recent success in the Pacific, persuading the Solomon Islands and Kiribati this past year to change diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China.
That left Palau as you of Taiwan's four remaining allies in the Pacific and only 15 worldwide.
The country of 22,000, which lies about 1,500 kilometers east of the Philippines, has retained strong ties to Taiwan and the United States under Palau President Tommy Remengesau, despite pressure from China to change.
Remengesau said China had employed "aggressive moves" in the region but he understood why it had won over some island nations.
"It's no secret that they are loaning money and putting money in to the economies of several Pacific island nations," he told reporters. "Which has an impact about how people view the partnership with those that help them."
China effectively banned its tourists from visiting Palau in 2018, severing a significant income stream in a move seen as retribution over ties with Taiwan, which Beijing sees as part of its territory to be brought back into the fold.
Esper said he and Remengesau had discussed the necessity to respect "sovereignty of nations of most sizes".
While Palau is an independent nation, it does not have any military and the U.S. is accountable for its defense under an agreement with Washington.
Beneath the deal, the U.S. military has usage of the islands, though it currently does not have any troops stationed there.
A U.S. military radar facility is planned but construction was suspended because of the Covid-19 pandemic, with Palau keen to retain its virus-free status.
Remengesau welcomed U.S. efforts to improve its military occurrence in Indo-Pacific region.
"It offers us those folks in Palau an excellent sense of security and a feeling of stability heading into the future," he said.
Source: japantoday.com
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