Could a US military build-up in Palau make it a future target?

By SBS News

Community Score: 50% | 427 views | 15h

0 community ratings: null thumbs up, null thumbs down

The United States is establishing and reinforcing its military positions across the Pacific, including on the tiny nation of Palau — a country with a population of just 18,000. It's a key part of what's known as the second island chain — located in a region US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has described as "the tip of America's spear" in the Pacific. The sovereign state has a compact which gives the US exclusive military access in return for security and economic support. But as tensions between Beijing and Washington continue to simmer in the region, some Palauans are increasingly uncomfortable with the growing military presence on their doorstep. SBS Reporter Tys Occhiuzzi travelled to Palau and filed this report. SBS News is Australia's trusted news source for the latest news from Australia and across the world. Subscribe to the SBS News YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SBSNews Follow SBS News on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sbsnews_au Follow SBS News on Ti

Tags: sbs, sbs news, sbs news live, sbs news australia, sbs world news, sbs news live now, news australia, news australia today, updated news australia, latest news, australia news latest, Australia, breaking, sbs world news live