Tag - palau

 
 

PALAU

A coral reef in Okinawa in July 2022. Some jurisdictions around the world have moved to ban certain sunscreens in a bid to protect coral reefs, but some say the impact on reefs is far from clear.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife / OUR PLANET
Jul 20, 2025
Japan’s top brands get tied up in the great sunscreen debate
The debate over the damage sunscreens cause to the marine environment is heating up as some regions ban certain chemical ingredients.
A view of Koror, Palau’s main town, on April 10
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 1, 2025
Inside the U.S. battle with China over a Pacific island paradise
Palau is again on the frontline as China and the United States and its allies prepare their forces in an intensifying contest for control.
Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. delivers speaks during a function at the Lowy Institute in Sydney on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 10, 2025
Palau stands with Taiwan 'until death do us part,' President Whipps says
Despite rising pressure from China, Palau says its support for Taiwan is unshakable — even as military risks grow.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday for a new government facility in Palau that Taipei helped fund.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 6, 2024
Taiwan's Lai says he is 'confident' of deeper cooperation with Trump
Trump caused jitters during his campaign by suggesting Taiwan should pay the United States for its defense.
Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. said the latest incursion by Chinese research vessels into his country's exclusive economic zone took place earlier this week.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 13, 2024
China is flouting Palau's ocean boundaries, president says
Chinese research vessels have been lurking "uninvited" within the Pacific nation's waters, newly reelected President Surangel Whipps Jr. says.
President of Palau Surangel Whipps Jr. at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Sept. 23
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 5, 2024
Palau's pro-U.S. president faces election test
Palau is one of Taiwan's few remaining diplomatic friends and is seen as a steadfast U.S. supporter in a region where China has made inroads.
Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. addresses the Summit of the Future in the General Assembly hall at United Nations headquarters in New York City in September.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 2, 2024
Palau leader says China pushing for Taiwan switch
Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr. also accused China of violating the exclusive economic zone of his nation, which is located north of Australia.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Pacific island leaders have agreed to establish up to four regional police training centers and a multinational crisis reaction force.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 28, 2024
Pacific island leaders 'endorse' joint policing plan
The policing plan is seen as an attempt to limit China's security role in the region amid Beijing's efforts to build Pacific influence.
Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 16, 2024
Anxious over funding delay, Pacific island nations warn about China
The additional amount currently needed is a relatively small $2.3 billion.
An aerial view of islands in Palau
WORLD / Politics
Jan 24, 2024
Palau becomes first nation to ratify U.N. high seas treaty
The so-called High Seas Treaty was adopted by U.N. member states in June, after more than 15 years of discussions.
An exhibition on marine life at COP28 in Dubai. The conversation around oceans and climate change was not the main focus of the conference, despite the key role oceans play in absorbing carbon.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 15, 2023
COP28, didn't the oceans deserve more attention?
Oceans are key to mitigating climate change and severely impacted by it. Yet they didn't take center stage at COP28 — though some progress was made.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during an event in Pyongyang. Smuggling efforts could be directly linked to the North's military ambitions, analysts have said.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 8, 2023
North Korean smugglers disguised under Pacific island flags
With strict sanctions limiting Pyongyang's ability to import fuel, smugglers have adopted increasingly creative methods.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 3, 2022
Outgunned island states vow to fight deep-sea mining
Companies eager to scrape the ocean floor 5,000 to 6,000 meters below sea level stand to earn billions harvesting manganese, cobalt, copper and nickel.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 23, 2022
To counter China influence, U.S. names envoy to lead Pacific Island talks
The appointment of former senior diplomat Joseph Yun to lead the Pacific Island talks is a sign that countering China remains a top U.S. priority despite Russia's war in Ukraine.
JAPAN / Politics / Commentary
Dec 24, 2019
The great power game in the Pacific: What Japan can do
The Pacific island states have never been at the center of geopolitical discussion. The names of the 14 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) — nations such as Fiji, Kiribati, Palau and Samoa — may evoke a romanticized image of a remote paradise in the Pacific, but certainly not as a point...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 6, 2019
U.S. seeks to renew Pacific islands security pact to foil China
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday negotiations have begun with three Pacific island nations to renew a national security agreement that would help Washington counter growing Chinese influence in the region.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 19, 2018
Empty hotels, idle boats: What happens when a Pacific island upsets China
Empty hotel rooms, idle tour boats and shuttered travel agencies reveal widening fissures in the tiny Pacific nation of Palau, which is caught in an escalating diplomatic tug-of-war between China and Taiwan.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Nov 16, 2015
Empress Michiko turns 81
Turning 81, Empress Michiko recalled her April trip to Palau to commemorate those who lost their lives there in World War II.
EDITORIALS
Apr 9, 2015
Keeping the memory of war alive
In visiting Palau, the Emperor is continuing his efforts to ensure that the memories of Japan's wartime experience are kept alive and passed down to future generations.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Aug 9, 2013
Nagoya landlord-envoy keeps Pacific island state in public eye
Passengers on the Tokaido Shinkansen can see the office sign for the state of Ngeremlengui in the Republic of Palau as the train rolls through Nagoya.

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