Surangel Whipps Jr.

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honorable

| name = Surangel Whipps Jr.

| image =Surangel Whipps Jr. on February 12, 2025 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Whipps in 2025

| order = 10th

| office = President of Palau

| term_start = 21 January 2021

| term_end =

| vicepresident = Uduch Sengebau Senior
Raynold Oilouch

| predecessor = Thomas Remengesau Jr.

| successor =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1968|8|9|df=y}}

| birth_place = Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.

| party = Independent

| smallimage =

| office2 =

| office1 = Member of the Senate of Palau

| title1 =

| termstart1 = 2008

| termend1 = 2016

| spouse = {{marriage|Valerie Whipps|1999}}

| children = 4 (3 daughters and 1 son)

| education = Andrews University (BS)
University of California Los Angeles (MBA)

| parents = Surangel S. Whipps (father)
Marilyn C. Whipps (mother)

| relatives = Mason Whipps (brother)
Thomas Remengesau Jr. (brother-in-law)
Thomas Remengesau Sr. (father-in-law; deceased)

}}

Surangel Samuel Whipps Jr. (born 9 August 1968){{Cite web|url=https://www.mbjguam.com/2020/01/20/four-candidates-seek-the-presidency-in-palau-elections-in-2020/|title=Four candidates seek the presidency in Palau elections in 2020|date=January 20, 2020|access-date=July 21, 2020|archive-date=January 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128134149/https://www.mbjguam.com/2020/01/20/four-candidates-seek-the-presidency-in-palau-elections-in-2020/|url-status=dead}} is a Palauan businessman and politician, who has served as the president of Palau since 2021.{{cite news |title=Surangel Whipps Jr to be Palau's new president |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/429990/surangel-whipps-jr-to-be-palau-s-new-president |access-date=6 November 2020 |agency=RNZ |date=6 November 2020}} He served as senator from 2008 to 2016. He is from the State of Ngatpang.{{cite news |title=The Honorable SURANGEL S. WHIPPS |url=http://www.pacificdigitallibrary.org/cgi-bin/pdl?e=d-000off-pdl--00-2--0--010-TE--4-------0-1l--10ri-50---20-text-Ngatpang--00-3-1-00bySR-0-0-000utfZz-8-00&cl=search&d=HASH016711a6ce4c09ca468bbb3e.15&p=text |access-date=31 May 2021 |work=Institute of Museum and Library Services |agency=Pacific Digital Library |date=2020 |page=13}} Whipps assumed office as the President of Palau on 21 January 2021.{{Cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/18/palaus-new-president-vows-to-stand-up-to-bully-china|title=Palau's new president vows to stand up to 'bully' China|newspaper=The Guardian |date=18 January 2021|via=theguardian.com |last1=Carreon |first1=Bernadette }}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/18/palaus-new-president-vows-to-stand-up-to-bully-china|title = Palau's new president vows to stand up to 'bully' China| newspaper=The Guardian |date = 18 January 2021 | last1=Carreon | first1=Bernadette }}

Early life and education

File:03.30 總統接見帛琉共和國總統惠恕仁閣下伉儷訪團 - 51083529117.jpg in March 2021]]

Whipps was born in Baltimore, Maryland,{{cite web|url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=f2ve2AmBf8o |title=TFB Interview: Surangel Whipps Jr. from Palau - YouTube |date=10 April 2016 |publisher=M.youtube.com |access-date=2020-05-02}} to Surangel Whipps Sr. His mother is from Maryland. He is of Palauan and American ancestry.

He has a degree in Business Administration and Economics from Andrews University and an MBA from University of California, Los Angeles.{{Cite web|title=Palau National Congress - Senators|url=http://www.palauoek.com/?page_id=19|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304195602/http://www.palauoek.com/?page_id=19|archive-date=2016-03-04|access-date=2020-11-08|website=Palau National Congress}} In addition, he heads a chain of Palauan supermarkets.{{Cite news|last=Carreon|first=Bernadette|date=2021-01-18|title=Palau's new president vows to stand up to 'bully' China|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/18/palaus-new-president-vows-to-stand-up-to-bully-china|access-date=2021-02-11|issn=0261-3077}}

He ran against his brother-in-law, President Thomas Remengesau Jr., who was running for re-election, in the 2016 Palauan general election.{{cite news|title=Palau island election: Brothers-in-law vying for presidency |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/palau-election-surangel-whipps-jr-tommy-remengesa-a7388551.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/palau-election-surangel-whipps-jr-tommy-remengesa-a7388551.html |archive-date=2022-05-25 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=The Independent |date=2016-10-31 |access-date=2016-11-05}} Remengesau received 5,109 votes while Whipps won 4,854 votes.{{cite news|first=Bernadette H.|last=Carreon |title= Palau election too close to call, Results to be decided by overseas ballots |url=http://www.postguam.com/sunday_post/palau-election-too-close-to-call/article_5ae76d46-a24d-11e6-b77d-b7b2cbab0571.html |work=Guam Daily Post |date=2016-11-06 |access-date=2016-11-06}}

File:Jake Sullivan and Surangel Whipps Jr. at the White House in 2022.jpg at the White House in May 2022]]

Personal life

Whipps married Valerie Esang Remengesau in 1999; the couple has four children.{{cite web |title=Surangel S, Whipps, Jr. President of Palau |url=https://www.oceanpanel.org/node/22 |website=The High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel) |access-date=16 November 2021 |archive-date=16 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116151632/https://www.oceanpanel.org/node/22 |url-status=dead }}

Tenure

Whipps ran for president in the 2020 presidential election and defeated Vice President Raynold Oilouch{{cite news |last1=Carreon |first1=Bernadette |title=Palauans vote on new political era |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/429766/palauans-vote-on-new-political-era |access-date=3 November 2020 |agency=RNZ |date=3 November 2020}} in a campaign in which he stressed tax reforms and the creation of additional sources of revenue.{{Cite web|date=2020-11-06|title=Surangel Whipps Jr to be Palau's new president|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/429990/surangel-whipps-jr-to-be-palau-s-new-president|access-date=2021-02-11|website=RNZ |language=en-nz}} In an interview with The Guardian, then President-elect Whipps Jr. made the statement that Palau would more strongly oppose the actions of the Chinese government including illegal fishing and trespassing in Palauan waters as well as vowing to maintain the country's recognition of Taiwan. In addition, he proposed to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine amongst Palau's population, with an emphasis on healthcare workers.{{Cite web|title=President Surangel Whipps, Jr. of Palau|url=https://www.bridgingbordersproject.com/episodes/palau|access-date=2021-02-11|website=Bridging Borders|language=en-US}}

During the COP26 meeting in Glasgow, Whipps said, "We are drowning, and our only hope is the life-ring you are holding", strongly criticizing world powers in his speech.{{cite news |title='You might as well bomb us,' says President of Palau at COP26 climate summit |url=https://www.wionews.com/world/you-might-as-well-bomb-us-says-president-of-palau-at-cop26-climate-summit-426376 |access-date=3 November 2021 |agency=WION |date=3 November 2021}} On 28 September 2022, on the occasion of the state funeral for Shinzo Abe, Japan's former Prime Minister, in Tokyo, Whipps was one of only seven heads of state who had meetings with the Japanese Emperor Naruhito.{{Cite web |title=Emperor Naruhito, in a rare move, meets with 7 heads of state in one day |url=https://www.arabnews.jp/en/japan/article_81309/ |access-date=2022-10-13 |website=Arab News Japan |language=en}}

In October 2022, President Whipps visited Taiwan for the second time in his presidency. He arrived in Taiwan on 5 October and was welcomed by President Tsai Ing-wen when he stepped off the plane.

President Whipps serves on the advisory council of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue University, which is dedicated to accelerating the innovation and adoption of trusted technology to advance freedom.{{Cite web |title=Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue Launches International Advisory Council, Expanding Global Reach |url=https://techdiplomacy.org/press/krach-institute-for-tech-diplomacy-at-purdue-launches-international-advisory-council-expanding-global-reach/ |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue |language=en}}

In the 2024 Palauan general election, Whipps Jr. was re-elected for a second term. He earned 5,626 votes, defeating former president Thomas Remengesau Jr. who received 4,103.{{Cite web|title=Palau's pro-US president wins second term, defeating brother-in-law|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/14/palau-election-results-2024-surangel-whipps-jr-tommy-remengesau |access-date=2024-11-19 |website=The Guardian |date=14 November 2024 |language=en}}

In July 29th, 2024, he delivered the speech Upholding the Common Heritage of Humankind to the International Seabed Authority Assembly in Jamaica, arguing against seabed mining.