Palau
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Global Commons
USNS Mercy delivering medical care, humanitarian assistance to Pacific islands
FORUM Staff The United States Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy is bringing doctors, dentists and other medical experts, as well as engineers and disaster response personnel, to the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau and the Solomon Islands. The deployment kicks off Pacific Partnership 2024, which began when USNS Mercy left its home port in San Diego, California, in October 2023 —…
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Conflicts - Tensions
U.S. to enforce maritime law around Palau
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The United States has signed a new agreement with Palau, which gives U.S. ships the authorization to unilaterally enforce maritime regulations in the Pacific Island Country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the U.S. Coast Guard said in August 2023. The agreement follows pleas from Palau’s president for Washington’s help to deter Beijing’s “unwanted activities” in its coastal waters.…
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Northeast Asia
Task Force Koa Moana 23 strengthens South Pacific partnerships
FORUM Staff About 200 United States Marines and Sailors visited three South Pacific nations from June through September 2023 to bolster relationships, enhance infrastructure and improve citizens’ lives. Task Force Koa Moana 23 deployed in detachments to the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and Papua New Guinea (PNG). Combat Logistics Battalion 11, part of the 1st Marine Logistics Group, conducted…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Palau seeks more U.S. patrols of its waters after Chinese incursions
Reuters The Pacific Island Country (PIC) of Palau has asked the United States to increase patrols of its waters after several incursions by Chinese vessels into its exclusive economic zone, Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr. said in mid-June 2023. Whipps said he would also welcome a bigger U.S. military presence in the country, with troops stationed alongside existing coast guard…
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Conflicts - Tensions
U.S. Coast Guard tackles IUU fishing, deepens partnerships in Oceania
FORUM Staff A collaborative mission of enforcement and engagement brought success on both fronts during the United States Coast Guard cutter Oliver Henry’s monthlong, 9,700-kilometer patrol of the Pacific Ocean. The fast-response cutter traversed the exclusive economic zones of partner nations Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia, as well as international waters between the Pacific Island Countries to counter…
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Key Issues
Cope North 2023 hones strategic combat skills, coordination among Pacific partners
FORUM Staff Allies and partners in the Pacific launched exercise Cope North 2023 in February, bolstering their capacity for airborne force coordination, agile combat and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR). The exercise, sponsored by United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), brought together about 2,000 members of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), French Air and Space Force, Japan Air…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
U.S. plans over-the-horizon radar facility in Palau
BENAR NEWS The United States military plans to install over-the-horizon radar in Palau by 2026, adding to its early warning capabilities for the western Pacific as the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) military strength increases. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) awarded a U.S. $120 million contract in late December 2022 to build reinforced foundations and pads in Palau for…
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Key Issues
Palau pursues innovation, assistance from partners to enhance economy, security
FORUM Staff Palau’s improved digital connectivity through undersea cables may help transform the island nation’s economy, which the COVID-19 pandemic devastated. Palau hopes to “take advantage of this opportunity and really make economic diversification something that could happen for us,” Finance Minister Kaleb Udui Jr. told a panel on United States’ cooperation and engagement in Pacific Island Countries (PICs), assembled…
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Indo-Pacific
Palau committed to supporting Taiwan despite ‘mounting aggressions’
Reuters Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr. said in early October 2022 that the Pacific Island Country is committed to supporting Taiwan despite “mounting aggressions,” offering his strong backing as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) ramps up pressure against Taipei in the region. The Pacific is the site of a political tug of war, and in 2019, Kiribati and the…
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Key Issues
Partners conduct multilateral search and rescue drill off Palau
Chief Warrant Officer Sara Muir/U.S. Coast Guard To strengthen relationships and interoperability, the United States Coast Guard conducted a multilateral search and rescue exercise with longtime partners from Japan, the Republic of Palau and the United Kingdom in late July 2022. “We thrive on these opportunities, and we all came away with a deepened appreciation for the work of our…
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