US will resume Peace Corps program in Palau as it moves to counter Chinese influence in Indo-Pacific

By MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will resume a long-suspended Peace Corps program in the North Pacific island of Palau as the Biden administration continues moves to counter growing Chinese influence in the region. The Peace Corps said Friday it will start sending volunteers back to the island in 2025 following an agreement reached between the agency’s director and Palau’s president. The Peace Corps program in Palau and in the Federated States of Micronesia began in 1966 but shut down in 2014. As China has made successful inroads in the Pacific, successive U.S. administrations have sought to improve relations with the island nations, including by opening new embassies and renegotiating cooperation agreements.