Koror, Palau, June 8 (CNA) Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said Monday during her visit to Palau that Taiwan is preparing to assign Investigation Bureau personnel to the Pacific ally to help it combat transnational crime, including fraud and cybercrime.
“As our societies become increasingly interconnected, new security challenges also emerge,” Hsiao said Monday morning in an address to the Palau National Congress in Ngerulmud, Palau’s capital.
She said fraud, cybercrime, money laundering, drug trafficking and other forms of transnational crime “threaten communities across the Pacific.”
Taiwan is committed to being a “trusted partner” in strengthening law enforcement cooperation and safeguarding the security and well-being of people in both countries, she said.
“To further deepen this cooperation, I am honored to announce that Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau is prepared to assign personnel to Palau to work closely with relevant authorities here and jointly address the growing challenges posed by cross-border crime” Hsiao said.
Speaking after Hsiao, Palau President Surangel S. Whipps Jr. welcomed the announcement, saying the investigators from Taiwan will “work alongside our law enforcement.”
“We must be realistic: there are those who continue to attempt to bring drugs and organized crime into Palau, and the language barrier is a genuine obstacle,” Whipps said, without elaborating on what he meant by “language barrier.”
“Your support is invaluable. This partnership makes Palau safer, and I am deeply grateful,” he said.
In 2025, an American think tank warned that China was using transnational criminal organizations to advance its political agenda in Palau.
According to a BBC story in November 2025, Whipps himself has “pointed to crimes linked to China, including scamming, illegal casinos, and cyberattacks.”
Other activities
Later in the afternoon, Hsiao and Whipps attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a Taiwan-backed cross-state road project in Ngchesar State, where she said roads built with Taiwan’s assistance now account for about 68 percent of Palau’s land transportation network.
The two also witnessed a donation ceremony in Koror, Palau’s largest city, for four Taiwan-made multi-functional drones, which Hsiao said could help Palau strengthen its disaster response, medical logistics and maritime search-and-rescue capabilities.
Monday marked the third day of Hsiao’s five-day visit to Palau, one of Taiwan’s 12 diplomatic allies worldwide and one of three in the Pacific.
The trip is Hsiao’s first to a diplomatic ally since she assumed office in May 2024.
