2025-12-27
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Imagine living on a remote island in the Pacific Ocean and being in a tug of war between much bigger powers.
That's what life is like in Palau.
A tiny nation of just 18,000 people.
It might be out of sight, out of mind for many,
but for China, it's a diplomatic price to be pursued.
And there's some strange things happening there,
which are making some of the locals very uncomfortable.
I'm Mariko, and from the BBC World Service, this is Asia Specific.
Twice a week we bring you Asia Pacific stories unpacked by those who know them best.
And today I have Sean Yuan from the BBC's Global China unit.
Not many people have been to Palau, but he has.
And I also have Bill Bertels from our Asia-specific podcast team.
He's also been a correspondent in both Beijing and Taiwan.
Thank you both.
I want to start this episode with exactly where Palau is