Palau Polls Open As Pro-US President Faces Election Test

In the four years since coming to power, incumbent president Surangel Whipps Jr has overseen the swift expansion of US military interests across the Palauan archipelago (Credit: AFP)

Polls opened Tuesday in the Pacific nation Palau, which is voting in a presidential election dominated by cost-of-living worries, China meddling claims, and the expanding military footprint of the United States.

The Melanesian microstate of some 20,000 people is one of Taiwan's few remaining diplomatic friends and is seen as a steadfast US supporter in a region where China has made inroads.