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US Says Fiji-Based Chinese Official Paid Bribes for Beijing
The designation bars Zhao and his immediate family from the United States as officials say he paid bribes to advance China-based interests and organized crime.
- On Thursday, the US State Department sanctioned Fiji-based businessman Zhao Fugang for 'significant corruption' on behalf of China-based actors, rendering him and his family ineligible for entry into the United States.
- Western intelligence agencies investigated Zhao for years, alleging he leads an organized crime syndicate harming Australian security interests while entrenching Chinese Communist Party influence in the South Pacific.
- Australian officials allege Zhao abused his public position by paying bribes to Fijian citizens, with police files suggesting his syndicate may have compromised an elite Fijian police drug taskforce.
- The Australian Federal Police and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission provided critical intelligence to Washington, with Australian officials having anticipated the designation for at least 18 months.
- This action highlights the ongoing geopolitical contest between Canberra and Beijing for South Pacific influence, as the Albanese government faces challenges countering security threats amid shifting US foreign policy priorities.
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22 Articles
22 Articles
US State Department says Zhao Fugang, director of Overseas Chinese Service Center in Fiji, was publicly designated for his ‘involvement in significant corruption on behalf of China-based actors’
·Ankara, Türkiye
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources22
Leaning Left6Leaning Right3Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution44% Center
Bias Distribution
- 44% of the sources are Center
44% Center
L 37%
C 44%
R 19%
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