US targets alleged Chinese influence and crime networks in Pacific island politics

Washington’s sanctions on Fiji-based businessman Zhao Fugang over alleged bribery, money laundering, organized-crime links, and Chinese foreign-interference activity highlight corruption and illicit-finance concerns; the allegations are disputed. A CSIS tool counts 56 security arrangements involving 14 Pacific island countries and five external actors, illustrating a dense but overlapping security footprint. Separate reporting on the Northern Mariana Islands’ suspended EVS-TAP raises coordination concerns, but its security allegations are not substantiated in the available account.