US def. chief says China destabilising Indo-Pacific

Koror, Palau, Aug. 28: US Defense Secretary Mark Esper accused China of “destabilising” the Pacific region on Friday on a whistle-stop trip to the tiny island nation of Palau.

The visit, which lasted barely three hours, comes as Washington attempts to counter Beijing's efforts to gain influence in the sparsely populated but strategically important Pacific island nations.

Esper said the United States and Palau shared values of freedom “where all countries respect the rules and norms for peace and prosperity of all nations”.

“This is especially important today, as we continue work alongside our allies and partners to protect that international system that is under threat from China and its ongoing destabilising actiities in the region,” he said.

Beijing has enjoyed recent success in the Pacific, persuading the Solomon Islands and Kiribati last year to switch diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China.

That left Palau as one of

Taiwan's four remaining allies in the Pacific and only 15 worldwide.

The nation of 22,000, which lies about 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) east of the Philippines, has retained strong ties to Taiwan and the United States under Palau President Tommy Remengesau, despite pressure from China to switch.

Remengesau said China had employed “aggressive moves” in the region but he understood why it had won over some island nations. “It’s no secret that they are loaning money and putting money into the economies of many Pacific island nations,” he said. —