The outgoing president of Micronesia has accused China of engaging in 'political warfare' in the Pacific, in an explosive letter advocating for the dissolution of diplomatic ties with Beijing.
"political warfare" in the Pacific, in an explosive letter advocating for the the dissolution of diplomatic ties with Beijing.
"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 instead of the United States, and, at worst, that the FSM chooses to 'abstain' altogether," he wrote. "One of the reasons that China's political warfare is successful in so many arenas is that we are bribed to be complicit, and bribed to be silent. That's a heavy word, but it is an accurate description regardless," he wrote in the letter.Panuelo, whose term in office is set to expire in two months after losing his seat in the recent general election, has been president of Micronesia since 2019.
He argued that in addition to impacting the sovereignty of Pacific Island nations, signing such an agreement could bring about a new"Cold War" amid tensions between China and the West.The release of Panuelo's latest -- and most explosive -- letter comes amid heightened concern from regional powers over Beijing's ambitions in the Indo-Pacific.
Meanwhile, the island nations themselves -- typically more concerned about the ravages of climate change than geopolitics -- have been wary of being viewed as pawns in a great power struggle.In the early 2000s, as the US was turning its attention toward perceived threats in the Middle East, a newly outward-looking China was starting on a path to become an economic and diplomatic partner for Pacific island countries.
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