Outgoing President Of Micronesia Accuses China Of Bribery

(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) China is engaged in 'political warfare' in the Pacific, the outgoing president of the Federated States of Micronesia has alleged in an excoriating letter, accusing Beijing officials of bribing elected officials in Micronesia, and even 'direct threats against my personal safety', media reported.

Two months before his term as president expires, David Panuelo's letter alleged China is preparing for conflict over the island of Taiwan, and that its goal in interfering in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) was to render the country neutral in any potential Pacific war.

'China is seeking to ensure that, in the event of a war in our Blue Pacific continent between themselves and Taiwan, that the FSM is, at best, aligned with the PRC (China) instead of the United States, and, at worst, that the FSM chooses to 'abstain' altogether,' The Guardian reported.

The revelations come as Beijing seeks to significantly ramp up its efforts to exert influence in the Indo-Pacific region, creating an increasingly fast-paced tug-of-war battle with the US and its ally, Australia, it said.

Last year, Beijing signed a controversial security pact with the Solomon Islands, which, along with Kiribati, made a decision to break ties with Taipei in favour of Beijing in 2019, The Guardian reported.

The FSM is a longstanding ally of the US - the nations have a formal 'compact of free association' - and the US is wholly responsible for the FSM's defence.

--IANS

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