Palau COFA renewal

With COFA funding expected to finally get congressional approval, the U.S. will need to work to overcome the negative perceptions generated by the protracted struggle to fund vital U.S. Pacific partners. 

Palau President Surangel Whipps says that “there was optimism and hope” when the Palau-U.S. compact agreement was signed. But concerns are mounting as funding stalls in the U.S. Congress.

The U.S. government concluded COFA renewal talks with Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands in 2023. Months later, Congress has yet to approve the funding.

If Compact funding remains stuck in limbo, the Freely Associated States will be increasingly vulnerable to China’s influence, David Panuelo warned.

Despite domestic political headwinds, Biden’s engagement at the second U.S.-Pacific Islands summit was welcomed, as were newly announced funds, initiatives and an expanding diplomatic footprint.

U.S. Coast Guard ships can now enforce regulations inside Palau's exclusive economic zone on behalf of the nation without a Palauan officer present.

Camilla Pohle of USIP notes that pending issues risk jeopardizing Washington's progress on the Pacific Partnership Strategy.

Speaking from Japan, Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr. said that three Chinese boats have made “uninvited” entries into his country’s waters since he took office in 2021.

President Biden had to cancel his trip to the Pacific Island country, so Secretary of State Blinken oversaw the signing of new deals with Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, and Palau.