Taiwan is using war memory in the Pacific to deepen ties with one of its few remaining diplomatic allies, a quiet but pointed piece of diplomacy.

• Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung toured Peleliu in Palau, site of one of the bloodiest Pacific battles of World War II.
• Trenches, bunkers, an old airfield and wrecked tanks and planes still sit across the island, with US and Japanese memorials on site.
• The trip's message was simple: peace has to be protected by every generation — a line aimed at today's tensions in the region.
• Lin laid flowers at the grave of former Palauan president Kuniwo Nakamura, who brought Palau into formal ties with Taiwan.
• Taiwan is pitching cooperation on history preservation, peace education, green tourism, youth exchanges and infrastructure.

Outlook: Expect Taiwan to keep courting Palau with aid and exchanges as China works to peel away its handful of remaining allies.