Fiji-based Chinese official paid bribes for Beijing, US says

The US yesterday said a Fijian man working for a Chinese state agency paid bribes to advance Beijing’s interests in the Pacific nation, allegations he denies.

Zhao Fugang (趙福剛), director of the Overseas Chinese Service Center in the capital, 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,” US Department of State spokesman Tommy Pigott said. “His actions constituted significant corruption and adversely affected US interests in Fiji.”

The Yue Lai Hotel, owned by local businessman Zhao Fugang, is pictured in Suva yesterday.

Photo: AFP

Zhao and his immediate family members would be barred from entering the US as a result, Washington said.

The US embassy in Suva yesterday said in a statement 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,” it said.

A prominent local businessman and Fijian national, Zhao “categorically” denied the allegations.

“They are unsubstantiated,” he said in a statement issued by his lawyers. “I have not been questioned by any Fijian authority about these matters, and no charge has been laid against me.”

Zhao said he had written to the US embassy requesting the full details of the allegations against him.

“I respect the laws of Fiji and will cooperate fully with any lawful inquiry by the Fijian authorities,” he said.

An investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project in 2024 alleged that Zhao operated as a key point man for Beijing’s interests in Fiji and was a naturalized citizen of the Pacific nation.

It also said Zhao was suspected by Australian law enforcement to be a top player in a transnational syndicate linked to human trafficking, money laundering and drugs smuggling.

Zhao’s lawyer Nikheel Nambiar said he denied those claims and that allegations of influence-peddling for Beijing were “false and misleading.”

China’s embassy in Suva did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning (毛寧) yesterday told a regular news briefing in Beijing that she was not aware of the case.

“We have always opposed any slander and smear directed at China,” she added.

Overseas Chinese Service Centers help its nationals with administrative issues abroad, such as renewing driving licenses, Beijing said.

However, rights groups have alleged they are front groups for China to push its interests abroad, including the targeting of dissidents.

Beijing in the past few years has sought to deepen its influence among Pacific Island nations, to the consternation of the US and Australia.

Beijing sent waves through the region in 2022 when it signed a secretive security pact with Solomon Islands, stoking fears it could one day lead to a permanent military presence.