It’s not just Greenland: Inside the fight the U.S. faces to keep a tiny Pacific island out of China’s grasp

A tiny island nation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is the staging ground of a major geopolitical tussle.

Palau is made up of more than 340 coral and volcanic islands perched on the Kyushu-Palau Ridge, dotting Micronesia’s edge. It is geographically closer to China than any other Pacific Island nation and still formally recognizes Taiwan.