Outgoing Federated States of Micronesia President David Panuelo accused China of waging a "
political battle
" in his country and resorting to corruption and harassment, in an inflammatory letter to parliament.
Beijing denounces "
slander
".
“
To put it simply, we are witnessing a political battle in our country
,” the leader wrote in the letter obtained by AFP on Friday, warning lawmakers, detailing allegations of Chinese espionage, coercion of government officials and "
direct threats
" to his personal safety.
“We are bribed”
David Panuelo has previously expressed concerns about Beijing's growing influence in the South Pacific and opposes a security deal that could allow the deployment of Chinese troops to the region.
The president goes much further in this letter, warning the next government of a wave of threats that could, according to him, turn Micronesia into a vassal of China.
Beijing has "
demonstrated a great ability to undermine our sovereignty, reject our values and use our elected and experienced officials for its own ends
", he castigated.
David Panuelo notably accused colleagues in his cabinet of having sent recordings of bilateral meetings to China.
“
We are bribed to be accomplices and bribed to remain silent.
These are strong words, but nevertheless accurately describe the situation
,” he added.
“
What about an elected official who receives an envelope full of money after a dinner at the PRC Embassy, or after an inauguration?
he continued, referring to the People's Republic of China (PRC).
Direct threats to physical integrity
The leader also said he was followed by "
two Chinese men
" during a meeting in Fiji in July, saying they worked at the embassy and one of them was later identified as a "
intelligence officer
" of the Chinese army.
“
To be clear: I received direct threats to my physical integrity from PRC officials acting in an official capacity
,” he said again, explaining that he had to change his phone number. because of "
incessant
" calls from the Chinese ambassador, who tried to persuade him to accept Chinese vaccines against Covid.
“Unacceptable” accusations
“
These slanders and accusations against China are totally against the facts.
China considers them totally unacceptable,
” Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reacted during a regular press briefing.
David Panuelo also revealed that he had discussions with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan about an agreement allowing his country to distance itself from Chinese financing and support, Taipei proposing to recover major projects currently financed by Beijing.
David Panuelo, 58, failed to win re-election as president earlier this week and his successor is expected to be appointed by parliament in May.
He called on lawmakers to pass new laws to fight money laundering and promote political integrity.
“
Have you personally received bribes from the PRC?
If the answer is 'No', then you are in the minority
”.
Micronesia, which has barely 100,000 inhabitants, is the ally of Washington, with which it has maintained close ties since its independence acquired more than 30 years ago.
Competition between the United States and China in the Pacific has intensified as Beijing seeks to expand its influence in this strategic region.
The Federated States of Micronesia straddle a maritime crossroads of major importance and are located southeast of Guam, an island where the United States has a military presence and which could become a key territory in the event of a conflict in Taiwan.
