US Imposes Sanctions on Officials from Marshall Islands and Palau Over China Ties

US Sanctions Two Pacific Island Leaders for Alleged Corruption

The United States Department of State has issued sanctions against two leaders from Pacific island nations, Palau and the Marshall Islands. Hokkons Baules, president of Palau’s Senate, and Anderson Jibas, a former mayor in the Marshall Islands, have been accused of “significant corruption” by the Trump administration.

According to the US Department of State, Baules allegedly took bribes in exchange for supporting Chinese interests in Palau, while Jibas is accused of orchestrating and financially benefiting from schemes to misuse the Bikini Resettlement Trust, a US-backed fund designed to compensate those negatively affected by nuclear bomb testing on the Bikini Atoll.

The sanctions prohibit neither Baules nor his family from entering the US, as well as their families. The State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) has also expressed support for the sanctions.

The US credits the politicians’ actions with allowing the expansion of Chinese interests in the Pacific region. The allegations against Baules and Jibas are related to the spread of Chinese power in the Pacific and an increase in immigration to the US, two key issues in Trump’s platform.

Both Palau and the Marshall Islands were previously US territories, occupied during World War II and granted independence in the late 20th century. They continue to be part of a Compact of Free Association with the US, which allows the North American superpower to maintain military operations in the area and control the region’s defense.

The sanctions come as China seeks to expand its sphere of influence in the Pacific region, often seen as a rival to the US. The Asian superpower has attempted to pressure smaller countries into rupturing their ties with Taiwan and recognizing its government in Beijing instead.

Source: Al Jazeera