Nadi (Fiji) (AFP) – The United States accused on Thursday a Fiji-based man working for a Chinese state agency of allegedly paying bribes to advance Beijing’s interests in the Pacific nation. Zhao Fugang, Director of the Overseas Chinese Service Centre in Fiji’s capital of Suva, engaged in “significant corruption” on behalf of actors in China, Washington said.
“Zhao abused his public position by paying bribes to Fijian citizens to advance China-based government, business, and criminal interests,” State Department Spokesman Tommy Pigott stated. “His actions constituted significant corruption and adversely affected US interests in Fiji.” As a consequence, Zhao and his immediate family members will be barred from entering the United States, according to Washington.
The US embassy in Suva expressed in a statement on Thursday that Zhao’s actions left the Pacific nation open to “malign foreign influence” by Chinese government, business, and criminal actors. “Corruption stunts opportunities for foreign investment and foreign assistance, facilitates organized crime, offers a permissive environment for malign actors, drives illegal migration, and undermines citizens’ faith in government,” the statement added.
An investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) in 2024 alleged that a prominent local businessman identified Zhao as a key pointman for Beijing’s interests in Fiji and noted that he was a naturalised citizen of the Pacific nation. Furthermore, it reported that Zhao was suspected by Australian law enforcement of being a top player in a transnational syndicate linked to human trafficking, money laundering, and drug smuggling. Zhao has denied these claims.
China’s embassy in Suva did not respond to multiple requests for comment from AFP. Beijing claims that Overseas Chinese Service Centers assist its nationals with administrative issues abroad, such as renewing drivers’ licenses. However, rights groups argue that these centers serve as front groups for Beijing to advance its interests abroad, including the targeting of dissidents.
In recent years, China has sought to deepen its influence among Pacific Island nations, a move that has concerned the United States and its ally Australia. The situation intensified in 2022 when China signed a secretive security pact with Solomon Islands, raising fears that it could eventually lead to a permanent military presence in the region.
© 2024 AFP
