The U.S. Department of State released a statement on Wednesday, October 7th, identifying a community leader in Fiji responsible for local bribery to serve the interests of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The individual, along with their immediate family members, are prohibited from entering the United States.
According to the announcement published on the Department of State’s official website, Zhao Fugang, the director of the “Overseas Chinese Assistance Center” in Fiji, was found to have abused his public office by bribing Fijian citizens to advance the interests of the CCP regime, businesses, and criminal groups.
The announcement stated that Zhao Fugang’s actions constitute significant corruption and have had adverse effects on U.S. interests in Fiji.
This determination by the Department of State was made in accordance with Section 7031(c) of the U.S. Fiscal Year 2026 National Security, State Department, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. This provision requires the Secretary of State to publicly or privately designate foreign officials and their immediate family members involved in significant corruption or serious human rights violations based on credible information.
According to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday evening, citing an anonymous Australian official, both the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission had previously provided key intelligence to U.S. agencies as a basis for the Department of State’s determination.
The Australian official also revealed that they had anticipated such action from the U.S. at least 18 months ago.
The report also noted that for years Western intelligence agencies had been conducting covert investigations on Zhao Fugang, suspecting him of leading an organized crime syndicate that undermines Australia’s security interests while seeking to expand CCP influence in Suva and throughout the South Pacific.
In 2024, The Sydney Morning Herald and the television program “60 Minutes” had disclosed that Zhao Fugang was identified as one of the highest-priority crime threat targets in Australia in July 2023.
The Australian authorities believed that Zhao Fugang was attempting to influence the situation in the South Pacific, providing cover for CCP organized crime, and establishing Fiji as a hub for drug shipments to Australia.
The report further revealed suspicions that an elite Fiji police taskforce, working with Australia and New Zealand to combat drug trafficking in the Pacific region, may have been infiltrated by the criminal group led by Zhao Fugang.
Zhao Fugang has denied any wrongdoing, and at the time, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the allegations as “fake news.”
Australian media emphasized that there is currently no concrete evidence proving Zhao Fugang’s involvement in any criminal activities, only reporting the fact that Australian security agencies had classified him as a high-priority crime threat.
In December 2016, Zhao Fugang established Fiji’s first Chinese assistance center in Suva, attended by over a hundred people including Fiji Prime Minister Bainimarama.
Xinhua News Agency reported at the time that the center was one of the eight projects under the overseas benefit project implemented by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China.