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Palau

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Palau. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Ngerulmud

Head of State

President Surangel Whipps Jr.

Head of Government

President Surangel Whipps Jr.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (centre) poses with representatives from the region during the opening of the Island States Ocean Summit in Tokyo on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

China-Japan relations

Rising seas: Japan makes pitch to Pacific nations caught in US-China rivalry

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi tells summit that Tokyo is committed to helping regional partners strengthen ‘autonomy and resilience’.

3 Jun 2026 - 3:00PM

United States

US imposes fresh sanctions on Iranian exchange house, 19 ships from shadow fleet

19 May 2026 - 11:37PM

Indonesia

‘I started crying’: Indonesian captain’s wife in agony over pirate attack

6 May 2026 - 7:49PMvideocam

Japan

Fears of ecological crisis as Okinawa’s wildlife falls prey to poachers

Conservationists urge stronger protections to deter the growing illegal trade and overseas demand for Okinawa’s endemic species.

2 Nov 2025 - 11:52AM

Ryukyu leaf turtles are legally protected and are only found on the main island of Okinawa and two smaller islands. Photo KFBG

Pacific nations

Pacific Islands leaders call for ‘ocean of peace’ but face rough seas at summit

The Pacific Islands Forum has been clouded by allegations that host Solomon Islands did not invite Taiwan to please its close backer.

10 Sep 2025 - 5:18PM

Environment

Deadline looms as nations remain divided on global plastic pollution treaty

A coalition of oil-producing states remains at odds with an ‘ambitious’ group that wants radical action written into a treaty.

11 Aug 2025 - 1:45PM

Israel-Gaza war

My Take | Taiwan donation vow to Israeli settlement is cynical and foolish

Fulfilling the pledge would be a violation of international law, as Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank is universally recognised as illegal.

23 Jul 2025 - 9:00PM

Taiwan’s representative in Israel Abby Ya-Ping Lee visits the Binyamin regional council in Samaria on July 6, 2025. Photo: Handout

Pacific nations

Most Pacific island women don’t work. The World Bank wants to change that

Outdated laws and social norms keep 57 per cent of working-age women across the Pacific out of the labour force, the bank says.

17 Jun 2025 - 12:03PM

US-China trade war

My Take | The United States, not China, turns out to be the real bogeyman

The significance of Trump’s tariffs is that they have destroyed the credibility of America on which its global alliances have long depended.

6 Apr 2025 - 9:00PM

United States

My Take | Donald Trump’s tariff madness targets not only allies but animals

Penguins, seals and seabirds have not been spared in America’s global trade war, likewise territories with significant US or allied military assets.

4 Apr 2025 - 9:00PM

US President Donald Trump announces reciprocal tariffs at White House’s Rose Garden in Washington on April 2. Photo: TNS

Asia travel

Diving aside, Pacific paradise Palau wants you to visit for its culture

The island nation and diving paradise is pushing its cultural heritage, with village tours and handicraft workshops.

24 Feb 2025 - 1:47PM

A woodcarver crafts a traditional storyboard, an intricately designed piece of art that illustrates Palau’s history and legends, at Tebang Woodcarving Shop in Koror, Palau. Photo: AP

Taiwan

Why the ‘Out of Taiwan’ language theory is a cross-strait battleground

Mainland Chinese academics are countering the hypothesis that the island was the ancestral homeland of the Austronesian peoples.

12 Feb 2025 - 7:08PMvideocam

Pacific nations

Palau seeks US missile system citing ‘direct threat’ from China ICBM test

President Whipps said he and incoming US leader Trump are ‘very much in agreement’ regarding the Pacific island nation’s security.

14 Nov 2024 - 12:30PMvideocam

Asia travel

How the rangers of Palau’s Helen Reef keep the poachers at bay

Helen Reef, in Palau, has its own dedicated guard force, deterring poachers and protecting its incredible variety of life.

21 Oct 2024 - 5:15PM

Damselfish swim in shallow waters in Palau. Photo: Shutterstock

US-China relations

As No 2 US envoy ends Pacific tour, Beijing scores a diplomatic win on Taiwan

After Beijing envoy demands ‘correction’, Pacific Islands Forum scraps Taiwan reference from its annual summit’s final communique.

1 Sep 2024 - 12:39AMvideocam

US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell (left) attends a ceremony in Port Vila, Vanuatu, on Thursday to repatriate sacred human relics seized in New York by the FBI in 2016. Campbell also attended the opening of America’s new embassy in the Pacific nation. Photo: Reuters

Profile

Environmentalist Doug Woodring on connecting people to solve problems

A self-styled ‘translator between communities’, the founder of Ocean Recovery Alliance talks about being the first among his friends to visit Asia and why his background in business is pivotal to his plastic-reduction efforts

30 Jul 2024 - 3:06PM

Japan

Japan talks with Pacific islands focus on climate, security issues take back seat

Among the areas of concern highlighted by Pacific island nations was Japan’s release of treated radioactive water.

20 Jul 2024 - 1:45PMvideocam

Japan

As China’s sway over Pacific islands grows, will Japan counter by aiding Palau?

Analysts think Tokyo will answer the island nation’s appeal for help monitoring Chinese vessels, as it has done so with others in the region.

17 Jul 2024 - 3:38PMvideocam

Chinese research ships have repeatedly been sighted operating in marine zones claimed by Palau. Photo: Shutterstock

Hong Kong society

Explainer | What to know about overseas hikes after Hongkonger dies on Japan’s Mount Fuji

After death of civil servant, 58, the Post answers key questions about some popular destinations and what precautions to take.

11 Jul 2024 - 8:52AMvideocam

Ukraine war

Russia upgraded to ‘high-income country’ as war-driven economy grows

The country’s GDP grew 3.6 per cent last year amid demand for military goods and services.

3 Jul 2024 - 2:45PMvideocam

Middle East

Video shows Houthis attack cargo ship with sea drone seemingly disguised as a fishing boat

New footage circulating on social media appears to show the moments leading up to last week’s attack on the M/V Tutor in the Red Sea.

18 Jun 2024 - 4:57PM

US crew from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group assist sailors rescued from the M/V Tutor. Photo: US Navy via Reuters

Israel-Gaza war

My Take | International court prosecutor rises to historic occasion

In applying for arrest warrants for top leaders of Israel and Hamas, Karim Khan of the International Criminal Court has stood up for global justice and international law against the manipulated so-called rules-based order.

21 May 2024 - 9:00PM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs a cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv, Israel, on December 24, 2023. Photo: AP

Australia

My Take | Playing defence Mini-Me for the US will cost Australia dearly

The complaint by Canberra about the latest Chinese military flare-up close to China’s coast is not only hypocritical but highly escalatory.

10 May 2024 - 9:00PM

Pacific nations

Solomon Islands ‘locks in’ China ties with another pro-Beijing prime minister

New prime minister Jeremiah Manele is expected to apply a “lighter touch” to ties with Beijing given the demand for greater transparency.

3 May 2024 - 11:12PMvideocam

Pacific nations

‘Calling for change’: will Solomon Islands lean closer to China after its polls?

Geopolitics looms large over the polls in Solomon Islands, where Beijing and Washington have been vying for influence for years. But for voters just struggling to make ends meet, Wednesday’s election may be decided by issues much closer to home.

17 Apr 2024 - 10:49AMvideocam

An election parade in Solomon Islands’ capital Honiara on Monday. The political climate in the Pacific nation has been fractious in recent years. Photo: AP

Asia travel

Natural wonders: a deep dive into Taiwan’s Green Island and Liuqiu Island

Taiwan’s southern islands are less touristy and offer natural beauty, easily accessible snorkelling and diving, one of the world’s three saltwater hot springs and a laid-back atmosphere.

9 Apr 2024 - 7:57AM

Scuba divers emerge from the waters of Taiwan’s southern Green Island. It and another southern island, Liuqiu, are less touristy and offer easily accessible snorkelling and diving among corals, and a laid-back atmosphere. Photo: Pete Ford

US-China relations

A US governor in the Pacific plans ‘lonely’ pivot away from China

Long tied to Beijing for tourism and gambling income, Northern Mariana Islands needs more aid from Washington, says governor.

28 Mar 2024 - 10:41AMvideocam

Tourism

Palau luxury cruise, for dazzling coral, white sand beaches, and war relics

The coral islands of Palau in the western Pacific are best visited by boat, and catamaran Four Seasons Explorer offers a new option for visitors to a nation with conservation in its constitution.

25 Mar 2024 - 6:31PMvideocam

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Palau

Rising seas: Japan makes pitch to Pacific nations caught in US-China rivalry

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi tells summit that Tokyo is committed to helping regional partners strengthen ‘autonomy and resilience’.

US imposes fresh sanctions on Iranian exchange house, 19 ships from shadow fleet

‘I started crying’: Indonesian captain’s wife in agony over pirate attack

Fears of ecological crisis as Okinawa’s wildlife falls prey to poachers

Conservationists urge stronger protections to deter the growing illegal trade and overseas demand for Okinawa’s endemic species.

Pacific Islands leaders call for ‘ocean of peace’ but face rough seas at summit

The Pacific Islands Forum has been clouded by allegations that host Solomon Islands did not invite Taiwan to please its close backer.

Deadline looms as nations remain divided on global plastic pollution treaty

A coalition of oil-producing states remains at odds with an ‘ambitious’ group that wants radical action written into a treaty.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}My Take | Taiwan donation vow to Israeli settlement is cynical and foolish

Fulfilling the pledge would be a violation of international law, as Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank is universally recognised as illegal.

Most Pacific island women don’t work. The World Bank wants to change that

Outdated laws and social norms keep 57 per cent of working-age women across the Pacific out of the labour force, the bank says.

My Take | The United States, not China, turns out to be the real bogeyman

The significance of Trump’s tariffs is that they have destroyed the credibility of America on which its global alliances have long depended.

My Take | Donald Trump’s tariff madness targets not only allies but animals

Penguins, seals and seabirds have not been spared in America’s global trade war, likewise territories with significant US or allied military assets.

Diving aside, Pacific paradise Palau wants you to visit for its culture

The island nation and diving paradise is pushing its cultural heritage, with village tours and handicraft workshops.

Why the ‘Out of Taiwan’ language theory is a cross-strait battleground

Mainland Chinese academics are countering the hypothesis that the island was the ancestral homeland of the Austronesian peoples.

Palau seeks US missile system citing ‘direct threat’ from China ICBM test

President Whipps said he and incoming US leader Trump are ‘very much in agreement’ regarding the Pacific island nation’s security.

How the rangers of Palau’s Helen Reef keep the poachers at bay

Helen Reef, in Palau, has its own dedicated guard force, deterring poachers and protecting its incredible variety of life.

As No 2 US envoy ends Pacific tour, Beijing scores a diplomatic win on Taiwan

After Beijing envoy demands ‘correction’, Pacific Islands Forum scraps Taiwan reference from its annual summit’s final communique.

Environmentalist Doug Woodring on connecting people to solve problems

A self-styled ‘translator between communities’, the founder of Ocean Recovery Alliance talks about being the first among his friends to visit Asia and why his background in business is pivotal to his plastic-reduction efforts

Japan talks with Pacific islands focus on climate, security issues take back seat

Among the areas of concern highlighted by Pacific island nations was Japan’s release of treated radioactive water.

As China’s sway over Pacific islands grows, will Japan counter by aiding Palau?

Analysts think Tokyo will answer the island nation’s appeal for help monitoring Chinese vessels, as it has done so with others in the region.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Explainer | What to know about overseas hikes after Hongkonger dies on Japan’s Mount Fuji

After death of civil servant, 58, the Post answers key questions about some popular destinations and what precautions to take.

Russia upgraded to ‘high-income country’ as war-driven economy grows

The country’s GDP grew 3.6 per cent last year amid demand for military goods and services.

Video shows Houthis attack cargo ship with sea drone seemingly disguised as a fishing boat

New footage circulating on social media appears to show the moments leading up to last week’s attack on the M/V Tutor in the Red Sea.

My Take | International court prosecutor rises to historic occasion

In applying for arrest warrants for top leaders of Israel and Hamas, Karim Khan of the International Criminal Court has stood up for global justice and international law against the manipulated so-called rules-based order.

My Take | Playing defence Mini-Me for the US will cost Australia dearly

The complaint by Canberra about the latest Chinese military flare-up close to China’s coast is not only hypocritical but highly escalatory.

Solomon Islands ‘locks in’ China ties with another pro-Beijing prime minister

New prime minister Jeremiah Manele is expected to apply a “lighter touch” to ties with Beijing given the demand for greater transparency.

‘Calling for change’: will Solomon Islands lean closer to China after its polls?

Geopolitics looms large over the polls in Solomon Islands, where Beijing and Washington have been vying for influence for years. But for voters just struggling to make ends meet, Wednesday’s election may be decided by issues much closer to home.

Natural wonders: a deep dive into Taiwan’s Green Island and Liuqiu Island

Taiwan’s southern islands are less touristy and offer natural beauty, easily accessible snorkelling and diving, one of the world’s three saltwater hot springs and a laid-back atmosphere.

A US governor in the Pacific plans ‘lonely’ pivot away from China

Long tied to Beijing for tourism and gambling income, Northern Mariana Islands needs more aid from Washington, says governor.

Palau luxury cruise, for dazzling coral, white sand beaches, and war relics

The coral islands of Palau in the western Pacific are best visited by boat, and catamaran Four Seasons Explorer offers a new option for visitors to a nation with conservation in its constitution.

My Take | Taiwan donation vow to Israeli settlement is cynical and foolish

Explainer | What to know about overseas hikes after Hongkonger dies on Japan’s Mount Fuji