{"id":37029,"date":"2023-08-31T04:39:45","date_gmt":"2023-08-30T23:09:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=37029"},"modified":"2025-04-22T10:17:36","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T04:47:36","slug":"maritime-security-in-pacific-region","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/maritime-security-in-pacific-region\/","title":{"rendered":"Maritime Security in Pacific region: US ink new pact with Palau"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>What\u2019s in Today\u2019s Article?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Why in News?<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Where is Palau Located?<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Role Played by the US in the Maritime Security of the Pacific Region<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Challenges faced by the US\u2019 Maritime Security Goals in the Pacific Region<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>About the Maritime Security Agreement signed by US with Palau<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Significance of the Agreement between US and Palau<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Why in News?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The United States has signed a new agreement with Palau, which <strong>gives American ships the authorisation to unilaterally enforce maritime regulations<\/strong> in the tiny Pacific Island nation\u2019s exclusive economic zone.<\/li>\n<li>The agreement comes as <strong>both the U.S. and China are seeking to expand their influence in the Pacific<\/strong>, and follows pleas from Palau\u2019s president for Washington\u2019s help to deter Beijing\u2019s \u201cunwanted activities\u201d in its coastal waters.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Where is Palau Located?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/media\/editor_images\/2023\/8\/31\/13\/14\/15\/64f044cf6ea8107339c54d06_OI.PNG\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Palau (officially the Republic of Palau with capital Ngerulmud) is<strong> an island country in the Micronesia sub-region of Oceania in the western Pacific<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>The republic consists of approximately 340 islands and has a total area of 466 sq kms, making it <strong>one of the smallest countries in the world<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Having voted in a referendum against joining the Federated States of Micronesia in 1978, <strong>the islands gained full sovereignty in 1994<\/strong> under a Compact of Free Association with the United States.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Politically, Palau is a presidential republic in free association with the United States, which provides defense, funding, and access to social services.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Role Played by the US in the Maritime Security of the Pacific Region:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/media\/editor_images\/2023\/8\/31\/13\/14\/17\/64f044d16ea8107339c54d07_OI.PNG\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The US is an Indo-Pacific power<\/strong>. The region stretches from the USA&#8217;s Pacific coastline to the Indian Ocean.\n<ul>\n<li>The region is home to more than half of the world\u2019s people, nearly two-thirds of the world\u2019s economy, and 7 of the world\u2019s largest militaries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>The 2nd World War reminded the US<\/strong> that its country could only be secure if Asia was secure as well.<\/li>\n<li><strong>So, in the post-war era<\/strong>, the US solidified its ties with the region, through <strong>ironclad treaty alliances with Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), the Philippines, and Thailand.<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>This laid the foundation of security that allowed regional democracies to flourish through close trade and investment relationships with the US.<\/li>\n<li>The passage of time has underscored the <strong>strategic necessity of the US\u2019 consistent role<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>At the end of the Cold War,<\/strong> the US considered but rejected the idea of withdrawing its military presence, understanding that the region held strategic value that would only grow in the 21st century.<\/li>\n<li>Since then, administrations in the US have shared a commitment to the region.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Challenges faced by the US\u2019 Maritime Security Goals in the Pacific Region:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>In a quickly changing strategic landscape<\/strong>, American interests can only be advanced by anchoring itself in the region and strengthening the region itself, alongside its closest allies and partners.<\/li>\n<li>This intensifying American focus is due in part to the fact that the <strong>Indo-Pacific faces mounting challenges<\/strong>, particularly from <strong>China (PRC)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The PRC is combining its economic, diplomatic, military, and technological might<\/strong> as it pursues a sphere of influence in the Indo-Pacific and seeks to become the world\u2019s most influential power.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The PRC\u2019s coercion and aggression spans the globe<\/strong>, but it is most acute in the Indo-Pacific.<\/li>\n<li>From the <strong>conflict along the Line of Actual Control with India<\/strong> to the growing pressure on Taiwan and bullying of neighbors in the East and South China Seas, US\u2019 allies bear much of the cost of the PRC\u2019s harmful behavior.<\/li>\n<li>In the process, <strong>the PRC is also undermining human rights and international law<\/strong>, including freedom of navigation, as well as other principles that have brought stability and prosperity to the Indo-Pacific<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>About the Maritime Security Agreement signed by US with Palau:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>In the agreement, <strong>the US Coast Guard ships can enforce regulations<\/strong> inside Palau\u2019s exclusive economic zone on behalf of the nation without a Palauan officer present.<\/li>\n<li><strong>This agreement helps Palau monitorits exclusive economic zone<\/strong>, protect against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and deter uninvited vessels from conducting questionable maneuvers within its water.<\/li>\n<li>The partnership will help toward achieving the <strong>common goal of peace and prosperity in the region.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"media\">\n<div data-oembed-url=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vbR3BDOmSCU\">\n<div><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vbR3BDOmSCU\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Significance of the Agreement between US and Palau:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Palau is one of the few countries that recognises Taiwan<\/strong> and maintains diplomatic relations with the island.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Elsewhere in the Pacific<\/strong>, the government of the Solomon Islands was persuaded to switch its diplomatic recognition of Taiwan to China in 2019.<\/li>\n<li>Since then,<strong> the Solomons signed a secretive security pact with China <\/strong>that has given rise to concerns it could give Beijing a military foothold in the South Pacific.\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The US has countered with diplomatic moves of its own<\/strong>, including opening an embassy in the Solomon Islands.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>The agreement with Palau <\/strong>is similar to one concluded with the Federated States of Micronesia at the end of 2022. The US also signed a bilateral defense agreement with <strong>Papua New Guinea<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>The agreements show the US\u2019 ongoing investment in <strong>protecting shared resources and an interest in maritime safety and security.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>This unity of effort with Pacific Island countries, including Palau,<strong> amplifies the US&#8217; collective ability to protect resources and maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific for all nations who observe the rule of law.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>Q1) What is String of Pearls?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The String of Pearls is a geopolitical hypothesis, which refers to the network of Chinese military and commercial facilities from the Chinese mainland to Port Sudan in the Horn of Africa. The sea lines run through the strategic maritime centres in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Maldives, and Somalia.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Q2) What is Micronesia?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Micronesia is a sub-region of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with 3 other island regions: Maritime Southeast Asia to the west, Polynesia to the east, and Melanesia to the south.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalpost.com\/pmn\/news-pmn\/us-given-ok-to-enforce-maritime-law-around-palau-as-washington-vies-with-china-for-pacific-influence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><u>US ink new pact with Palau over Maritime Security in Pacific region<\/u><\/a><u> | <\/u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/U.S.-Indo-Pacific-Strategy.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><u>White House<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Maritime Security Agreement between US and Palau comes as both the US and China are seeking to expand their influence in the Pacific<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":37030,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-37029","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37029","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37029"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37029\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37030"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}