• The outgoing president of Micronesia accused China.
• Of participating in “political warfare” in the Pacific region.
• Claiming it is preparing to invade the self-governing island of Taiwan.

In a shocking letter calling for the severing of diplomatic ties with Beijing, the outgoing president of Micronesia accused China of participating in “political warfare” in the Pacific.

David Panuelo claims in the 13-page letter that China is preparing to invade the self-governing island of Taiwan and that it has used political meddling, bribery, and even “direct threats” to ensure the neutrality of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in the event of war.

The letter’s contents were scorned by China as “smears and accusations.”

“I would like to emphasize that China has always upheld the equality of all countries – no matter their size – and has always respected how Micronesia chooses its own development, based on its own circumstances,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday in a regular press briefing.

Panuelo, who has previously criticized Beijing’s policies in the Pacific, disclosed he had given Taiwan consideration for receiving diplomatic recognition instead of Beijing.

Panuelo, who has previously been critical of Beijing’s actions in the Pacific region, revealed he had considered switching diplomatic recognition to Taipei.

The Chinese Communist Party refuses to rule out using force to “reunify” Taiwan with mainland China and claims the self-governing democracy of Taiwan as its own territory despite having never been in control of it.

Panuelo also accused China of “political warfare” in his country, which he claimed encompassed overt efforts – such as political alliances, economic measures and public propaganda – and clandestine acts like as “bribery, psychological warfare, and blackmail”.

“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 has served as the president of Micronesia since 2019, and his term is slated to end in two months after he was defeated in the most recent general election.

In the past, he has spoken out against China’s expanding influence in the South Pacific and warned against Beijing’s proposal of a comprehensive regional security agreement with 10 Pacific Island countries.

In a different letter to 22 Pacific leaders he stated that the draught proposal was meant to bring Pacific Island countries who had diplomatic connections to China “quite near within Beijing’s orbit.”

In addition to having an effect on the sovereignty of Pacific Island countries, he argued that signing such an agreement could spark a new “Cold War” amid tensions between China and the West.

China finally failed in its attempt to reach a security agreement with the Pacific Island countries.

The publication of Panuelo’s most inflammatory letter coincides with heightened anxiety among regional states regarding Beijing’s aspirations in the Indo-Pacific.

Military planners have long regarded the Pacific Islands, which are mostly to the northeast of Australia, as a crucial link between the US possession of Guam and US ally Australia.

In the South China Sea, China has been more forceful, extending its reach further west into Pacific waters, particularly towards the FSM, an archipelago of more than 600 islands.

This has alarmed both the US and Australia, who are both suspicious of China.

The island states themselves, who are normally more worried about the effects of climate change than geopolitics, have been cautious about being seen as puppets in a major geopolitical struggle.

It’s not new for China to be interested in improving relations with the nations in the Pacific Islands.

A newly outward-looking China began its journey to become an economic and diplomatic partner for Pacific island nations in the early 2000s, as the US focused its attention on perceived dangers in the Middle East.

Beijing made wooing allies away from Taiwan a priority after the Solomon Islands and Kiribati formally reaffirmed their loyalty to China in 2019. As a result, Taiwan is now only officially recognized by four of the South Pacific’s 14 countries.

Beijing’s prominence in the Pacific Islands has increased as well in recent years as it has pursued a more assertive foreign policy and increased development financing globally in an effort to increase its influence internationally.

China has sent high-level envoys to the region, including two visits from Chinese leader Xi Jinping, once in 2014 and once in 2018.

China has also backed well-known projects in some Pacific Island nations, including a national sports stadium to host the Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands, highways in Papua New Guinea, and bridges in Fiji.

Also, it has grown to be a significant trading partner for Pacific Island economies.

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