TOKYO - The president of Palau on Tuesday defended his small Pacific island nation's diplomatic ties with Taiwan amid pressure from China and called for closer cooperation with Japan on economic development, maritime security and ocean conservation.
In an interview with Kyodo News in Tokyo, Surangel Whipps, co-chairing an international conference of island nations from Wednesday, said small island nations must be free to choose their own international partners.
Palau is one of just 12 countries with formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the self-governed island that China claims as a province to be reunified with the mainland.
Whipps said Palau wants Japan to expand investment in tourism, fisheries and other sectors while working together to promote a rules-based order and sustainable ocean management.
According to Whipps, Beijing has repeatedly offered economic incentives to persuade Palau to switch recognition from Taiwan to China, but he stressed that diplomatic decisions are a matter of national sovereignty and should not be dictated by larger countries.
"You cannot tell me that I cannot recognize Taiwan. That's our sovereign choice as a country," he said. Palau has maintained ties with Taiwan since 1999.
The Palauan leader also accused Chinese vessels of conducting unauthorized research and survey activities inside Palau's exclusive economic zone and said authorities have documented equipment being deployed in its waters.
He suggested some of Beijing's actions reflect a broader attitude toward small island nations and their maritime rights.
"I was talking to one Chinese ambassador, and his comment to me was...You're a small country. You shouldn't have such a big ocean. I think that's not right," Whipps said.
Such activities, he added, violate international law and undermine sustainable marine management, reaffirming Palau's support for a "free and open Indo-Pacific" based on international rules.
Whipps noted that Palau is using the inaugural Island States Ocean Summit to promote stronger ocean governance, sustainable fisheries and better access to climate and development financing.
He highlighted the Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity Plan, which seeks to attract investment in fisheries, food security and ocean industries.
The president also expressed frustration over failed global plastics treaty talks, saying "We have to stop treating the ocean as a garbage dump."
He warned that climate change remains a major threat, citing sea-level rises, stronger storms, coral bleaching and declining fish stocks.
"We want our partners that we share the same values with to be the number one investors in fishing, tourism and agriculture" in Palau, he said. "Sometimes our voices are small, so they get drowned out. But having Japan in our corner helps us project to the world."
About 300 participants from around 30 nations, including those in the Caribbean region, are expected to attend the two-day conference in Tokyo to discuss shared ocean-related challenges such as climate change and environmental protection.
