(FILES) The President of Palau Surangel Whipps Jr., speaks during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department in Washington, DC, September 29, 2022. Palau's incumbent President Surangel Whipps Jr claimed victory on November 11, 2024 in the national elections, extending the pro-US leader's time in office as China seeks greater influence throughout the Pacific. (Photo by SARAH SILBIGER / POOL / AFP) (Photo by SARAH SILBIGER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)