MAJURO – Micronesia’s president has accused China of bribery, harassment, and “political warfare”, in an explosive letter to his country’s legislature obtained by AFP today.
“Simply put, we are witnessing political warfare in our country,” outgoing leader David Panuelo warned leading lawmakers, detailing allegations of Chinese espionage, coercion of government officials, and “direct threats” against his personal safety.
Panuelo has previously voiced concerns about Beijing’s growing power in the South Pacific, most notably opposing a security deal that could allow Chinese troops to be deployed to the region.
But his letter goes much further, warning the incoming government about a barrage of threats that he believes risk making the sparsely populated island federation a vassal state.
China, he said, had “demonstrated a keen capability to undermine our sovereignty, rejects our values, and uses our elected and senior officials for their own purposes”.
Among the eye-popping allegations, Panuelo claims his own cabinet colleagues transmitted recordings of bilateral meetings directly to China.
“We are bribed to be complicit, and bribed to be silent. That’s a heavy word, but it’s an accurate description regardless,” he said.
“What else do you call it when an elected official is given an envelope filled with money after a meal at the PRC embassy or after an inauguration?” he said, using the initials of China’s formal name, the People’s Republic of China.
He also said he was personally followed by “two Chinese men” while attending a meeting in Fiji last July. Paneulo claimed that both were embassy officials and that one was later identified as an “intelligence officer” with the Chinese military.
“To be clear: I have had direct threats against my personal safety from PRC officials acting in an official capacity,” he added, also claiming he had to change his phone number because of “incessant” calls from China’s ambassador trying to persuade him to accept Chinese Covid-19 vaccines.
Panuelo also revealed he had been in discussions with Taiwan’s foreign minister about an agreement allowing his country to distance itself from Chinese funding and support – with Taiwan offering to pick up the tab for major projects currently bankrolled by China. – AFP, March 10, 2023
