US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry and Palau's president, Surangel Whipps Jr Photo: US State Department
The Palau president says the US military is "reactivating" airstrips built by the Japanese during World War II.
Surangel Whipps Jr confirmed that the US would have full access to Palau under the terms of the Compact of Free Association between the two countries.
"Under the compact, the US has the ability to come in and use our ports, airports, set up bases, if they need to," he said.
Whipps said of Palau's three runways, US Marines are extending one of them, while the other two can already accommodate C-130 Hercules, a transport aircraft widely used by the US military.
"These were all runways that the Japanese used, so they are just basically just reactivating them," Whipps said.
Whipps also described the Compact Road, a public road built by the US that circles the entirety of Palau's main island, as being constructed for military use.
"One of the specifications … is that it should be able to accommodate M1 tanks. The bridges had to be able to accommodate those."
"So, I think that's been the intent, and you can see from what the Japanese had during World War II how important Palau was strategically for this type of posturing and security," he said.
"We believe that military presence is deterrence, or as former US President Reagan would say, 'it's peace through strength'," he said.
A C-130 Hercules Photo: NZDF
Whipps said Palau values its relationship with Taiwan, and that Palau understands its role in promoting security.
In return for military access, the US provides Palau with economic aid and security.
Washington also has a Compact of Free Association agreement with the Federated States of Micronesia and is hoping to renew its one with the Marshall Islands.
Whipps criticises lack of community assistance
Despite welcoming the US presence in his country, Whipps also had recommendations for making the partnership work better for the communities of Palau.
Regarding the construction of a radar installation by the US military, he said simple things to benefit the community could have been done but were not considered.
Whipps said that the US preferred not to hire local labour for its development projects, similar to what he had observed in Chinese lead developments.
"They had advertised in a newspaper for an engineer to earn US$3.50 per hour. If you pay a local worker, you have to pay all taxes. If you bring in a foreign worker, you are exempt from all that," he said.
He said he had spoken to the US Defence Department about these practices and encouraged them to change.
"I know it's about saving a buck, but when you're doing that same work in Guam, are those the kind of standards you are applying?" he asked Washington.
Whipps also said the US should not be surprised by China's ability to influence the Pacific region as a whole, and that the region needs more US investment.
"All these US investors are flying right over the Pacific and landing in Singapore and Hong Kong, and forgetting about the whole Pacific," he said.
- Pacific News