At its heart, this is a contest for influence in the South Pacific, played out through one man in Suva. The US State Department has designated Zhao Fugang, director of the Overseas Chinese Service Centre in Fiji’s capital, over what it called “significant corruption on behalf of China-based actors.” Zhao, a prominent Fijian businessman, denies the allegations.
What Washington says
A State Department official said Zhao abused his public position by paying bribes to Fijian citizens to advance China-based government, business and criminal interests. The action makes Zhao and his immediate family members generally ineligible for entry into the United States. “His actions constituted significant corruption and adversely affected US interests in Fiji,” the statement said, adding that Washington would “hold accountable those who abuse power for personal gain.” No specific bribes or recipients were named in the public statement.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Australian officials, speaking anonymously, said the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission had given US agencies critical intelligence for the decision, and that Canberra had expected the move for at least 18 months.
A long-running file
The designation follows earlier scrutiny. In 2024 the Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes revealed that Australian agencies had listed Zhao as an Australian Priority Organisation Target since July 2023, over allegations that he led a regional crime network and acted as Beijing’s key political agent in Fiji. The same year, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project described him as a key pointman for Beijing’s interests and a naturalised Fijian citizen, and said Australian law enforcement suspected him of being a top player in a transnational syndicate linked to human trafficking, money laundering and drug smuggling. Australian files cited concern that members of a Fijian police drugs taskforce had worked for the alleged syndicate.
His lawyer, Nikheel Nambiar, told AFP that the claims were false and that allegations of influence-peddling for Beijing were “false and misleading.” China’s foreign ministry has called earlier reporting “fake news.” On this latest move it said it was not aware of the specifics of his case but opposed “any slander and smear directed at China.”
Fiji wants evidence
For Suva, the question is process. The Fijian government urged Washington to share “credible information or evidence of alleged offences committed in Fiji.” While respecting America’s sovereign right to make decisions under its own laws, it said any allegation of unlawful conduct in Fiji must go through Fijian legal and law enforcement channels. “Allegations do not constitute proof of wrongdoing,” it added, and any action must respect due process and the presumption of innocence.
China has worked in recent years to deepen its influence among Pacific Island nations, to the concern of the United States and Australia. Canberra is spending hundreds of millions of dollars across the region to counter it, a task made harder as the Trump administration shifts Washington’s attention toward the Middle East.
Sources
- 'Significant corruption': Fiji demands US provide evidence Chinese official paid bribes for Beijing
- ‘Significant corruption’: US sanctions Chinese businessman over alleged ‘bribes’ in Fiji
