Palau invites US to build military bases as part of strategic tug of war with China
- US Defence Secretary Mark Esper visited the island nation last week and accused Beijing of ‘ongoing destabilising activities’ in the Pacific
- Palau is an independent nation but has no military and the US is responsible for its defence under an agreement called the Compact of Free Association
Palau President Tommy Remengesau later revealed he told Esper the US military was welcome to build facilities in his country, an archipelago about 1,500km east of the Philippines.
“Palau’s request to the US military remains simple – build joint-use facilities, then come and use them regularly,” he said in a letter to the US defence chief that his office released this week.
The note, addressed to Esper and marked “by hand delivery, Koror. Palau”, said the nation of 22,000 was open to hosting land bases, port facilities and airfields for the US military.
Remengesau also suggested a US Coast Guard presence in Palau to help patrol its vast marine reserve, which covers an area of ocean the size of Spain and is difficult for the tiny nation to monitor.
While Palau is an independent nation, it has no military and the US is responsible for its defence under an agreement with Washington called the Compact of Free Association.