Palau President Says CCP Leveraging Tourism to Pressure State on China Stance

Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. said late on Aug. 15 that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has made good on its threat to leverage tourism to the Micronesian island, after he spoke openly about a Chinese cyberattack and refused to cut relations with Taiwan. The CCP has exerted pressure on other Pacific island nations in recent years. In 2022, Beijing rolled out a plan to partner with 10 countries in a sweeping security and economic deal. However, the nations rejected the deal. Tourism is but one economic lever Beijing has in pressuring these islands. Whipps said that when he ran for office in 2020, a Chinese ambassador told him how easily they could bring a million tourists to Palau if Whipps changed his stance on China and Taiwan....