TOKYO -- The president of the Pacific island nation of Palau on Thursday called for help from the U.S., Japan and other allies over concerns about "uninvited" Chinese vessels entering its waters, as Washington and Beijing vie for regional influence.
President Surangel Whipps Jr. said a research vessel was spotted last month in Palau's exclusive economic zone where some of the country's undersea fiber-optic cables are laid, raising "concerns about what their intent is."
