US says Fiji-based Chinese official paid bribes for Beijing

The United States has accused a Fijian man, Zhao Fugang, who works for a Chinese state agency, of allegedly paying bribes to further China's interests in Fiji. Zhao, who serves as the Director of the Overseas Chinese Service Centre in Fiji's capital Suva, engaged in "significant corruption" by paying bribes to Fijian citizens, according to the State Department.

Tommy Pigott, a State Department spokesman, stated that Zhao's actions contradicted US interests in Fiji and left the nation vulnerable to "malign foreign influence" from Chinese actors. As a result of these allegations, Zhao and his immediate family members will be barred from entering the United States. Zhao and his family have denied the accusations, calling them "unsubstantiated" and requesting the full details of the allegations from the US embassy.

The allegations were first reported by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) in 2024, which alleged that Zhao acted as a key intermediary for Beijing's interests in Fiji. Rights groups have also accused the Overseas Chinese Service Centers of being fronts for Beijing to advance its interests in the Pacific region, including targeting dissidents.

China has sought to deepen its influence in the Pacific in recent years, which has raised concerns among the United States and its ally Australia.