In Micronesia, the former president, David Panuelo, provided an alarming account of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) efforts to advance its interests in the region. He recounted how a regional governor was approached by a CCP agent who pressured him into publicly denouncing a leaked letter from Panuelo. In response, Panuelo sent a series of letters, subsequently leaked, that warned about the CCP’s political warfare in the region. He underscored the necessity of taking a strong stance to protect Micronesia’s sovereignty.
The CCP’s efforts, in Panuelo’s account, were part of a broader move to expand its influence throughout the region and utilize the Micronesian nations to undermine the international order. At one point, Panuelo warned the Solomon Islands Prime Minister about an agreement that would have allowed China to expand its military and economic reach throughout the Pacific.
Panuelo stressed his commitment to supporting democratic values and the importance of solidarity with the United States in the Indo-Pacific. He spoke of the need for Pacific Island leaders to work together with allies to preserve the shared values that uphold the rules-based international order. He emphasized that the Micronesian nation would never allow itself to be a pawn caught between two superpowers, and he expressed appreciation for his country’s relationship with the U.S.
Furthermore, Mr. Panuelo expressed gratitude for the benefits that Micronesia has gained from its relationship with China, but he also highlighted how the CCP’s propaganda has sought to distort this relationship, promoting the notion of a strategic partnership that Micronesia has actively denied.