US Blacklists Fiji-Based Official Over Alleged Corruption Linked to Chinese Influence

The U.S. Department of State has accused the individual of bribing Fijian citizens to further Chinese governmental and criminal interests.

Published On 8 Oct 20268 Oct 2026

The U.S. Department of State has publicly designated a Fiji-based individual for his role in corruption connected to Chinese actors.

Zhao Fugang, director of the Overseas Chinese Service Center, was found to have misused his official position by offering bribes to Fijian nationals to advance Chinese governmental, commercial, and criminal agendas, according to a statement released by the State Department on Wednesday.

“His conduct amounted to serious corruption and undermined U.S. interests in Fiji,” the department noted.

As a result of this designation, Zhao and his immediate family members are now generally barred from entering the United States.

The U.S. Embassy in Suva, Fiji’s capital, stated that Zhao’s activities exposed the Pacific country to “malign foreign influence driven by Chinese government, business, and criminal entities.”

The embassy further commented, “Open-source reporting indicates a persistent pattern of transnational criminal activity linked to China operating throughout the Pacific region.”

While Beijing claims that Overseas Chinese Service Centers assist Chinese nationals abroad with administrative tasks—such as renewing driver’s licenses—human rights organizations have long alleged these centers serve as vehicles for advancing Beijing’s political influence overseas, including surveillance and intimidation of dissidents.

This move follows similar actions taken by the Trump administration in February, when the State Department imposed sanctions on two Pacific Island leaders over accusations of corruption tied to Chinese influence. Those sanctioned included Hokkons Baules, then-president of Palau’s Senate, and Anderson Jibas, a former mayor in the Marshall Islands, both accused of facilitating expanded Chinese sway in their respective countries.

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