Taipei: China has been accused of "weaponizing" tourism in Palau by restricting Chinese tourists' access to the island nation, according to Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim. During her recent visit to Palau, Hsiao urged Taiwanese citizens to consider traveling to the tropical destination, which is one of Taiwan's three Pacific allies.According to Focus Taiwan, Hsiao noted that Palau has experienced significant fluctuations in the number of Chinese tourists due to Beijing's tourism controls. The country saw a sharp increase to 91,095 Chinese visitors in 2015, but the numbers dropped to 28,368 in 2019 and further decreased to 21,286 by 2025. Hsiao encouraged Taiwanese tourists to explore Palau's snorkeling, hiking, boating, and cycling opportunities, as well as its maritime culture.China has implemented bans on state-run package tours to Palau and issued travel alerts to deter visitors, in an effort to pressure Palau into shifting diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing. Despite Hsiao's appeal, historical efforts to boost tourism have faced challenges.Former President Tsai Ing-wen aimed to increase annual tourist numbers to Palau to 100,000 in March 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on tourism. However, this target was not achieved, as Taiwan's China Airlines struggled with low seat occupancy, leading to the cancellation of direct flights in November 2021. Flights resumed in December 2021, and by 2026, the airline operated four weekly flights with a 77 percent load factor, yet Taiwanese visitor numbers have not returned to their early 2010s peak.In addition to tourism, Hsiao highlighted infrastructure projects supported by Taiwan in Babeldaob and Peleliu during her visit. She also commended Taiwan's Shin Kong Wu Ho Su Memorial Hospital for its assistance with healthcare services at Belau National Hospital, reflecting the strong ties and cooperation between the two countries.Hsiao concluded her five-day visit to Palau and was scheduled to return to Taiwan on Wednesday night.