Sep 1, 2026 – 6.24pmSurangel Whipps Jr, president of an 18,000-strong Pacific Island nation difficult to place on a map, has become an unlikely irritant for China, the world’s second-largest economy.The Pacific Islands Forum that Whipps is hosting has once again been drawn into the intensifying power competition playing out across the region, and is the latest focus of China’s relentless efforts to erase Taiwan’s presence from the international stage.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles
Tiny Palau has become David to China’s Goliath
The Pacific island nation of just 18,000 is facing up to China’s economic and military might with its support for Taiwan.
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