China's dirty tactics to control the Pacific | 60 Minutes Australia

It is strange to find this video very disturbing. The images showing China's real plans for the Pacific. It does not involve any legal process. None appear on 60 Minutes. This is one of the most profitable drug roots in the world. How Fiji has been targeted by the Australian government. think you might be involved in organized crime is Beijing's number one influence or in Fij undoubtedly Beijing's

dirty

tactics

can't afford big enemies

control

ling Paradise that's how empires work that's next when the powerful Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his Australian counterpart Penny Wong a few days ago, the couple smiled awkwardly and shook hands for the cameras, but behind closed doors there is no doubt the atmosphere would have been much more tense.

Both nations have many differences to resolve, including their current battle for influence in the Pacific. The CRA takes a softer approach toward our nearby neighbors that is not the way Beijing does business. Tonight we reveal some of the downright

dirty

tactics

China uses to prevail over small nations like Fiji. This is a vision that is incredible. A battalion of Chinese police officers are preparing to fly to Mass to undertake an operation on foreign soil, their targets are suspected Chinese cyber scammers operating in Fiji, but the Chinese police do not bother to involve the Fijian legal system, instead they engages in an extraordinary display of hard power and locates 77 suspects. handcuff and hood them and return them to China into the black hole that is the country's brutal justice system. no legal process involved none at all no no extradition treaty no no court case no none of that has been described as a mass kidnapping a fair term uh, I would say one interpretation would be the way you describe it so far, few have seen the video outside China which would probably have remained secret if not for Graham Smith, associate professor at the Australian National University, if we Chinese can send the police on a plane without so much as a blink from the government of Fiji.

What path does that take us? It is a very disturbing path because these types of operations are happening all over the world. Our team estimated that this happens twice a week. every week around the world, but the Pacific example is quite worrying. The video was released by a Chinese security agency in 2017 after Beijing convinced Fiji to enter into an unprecedented police partnership, as you can see it paved the way for incredible access and is just one of the many ways the Chinese Communist Party seeks to exert power in the region. To what extent did the CCP go?

Did the Chinese government get involved in Fiji? They went very, very deep tonight. We take you inside China's secret efforts to exert influence in the region. Pacific, this is a multi-spectral battle for influence and nothing is really off the table and it reveals the terrifying new chapter in the fierce battle unfolding on our doorstep. You're saying that Chinese entities could be involved, perhaps involved in organized crime. If I. I am concerned about how Beijing is using suspected gangsters as political proxies. It takes people who know people and often criminals have very good rights and we expose the one man our authorities believe poses a serious danger to our safety.

Are they in jail? The name is Nick McKenzie, the leader of the objectives in this country, delights with its palm trees and crystal clear waters. Fiji has long been a playground for Australian tourists, but this tropical paradise is now at the center of an intense geopolitical battle. Why is FJ like this? a major player in the Pacific is really the regional hub where a lot of the regional headquarters of all the major organizations are located and it's a really very effectively functioning democracy and it's also a diverse economy in a way that many others are. Unlike most specific countries, Fiji is not actually dependent on China.

What does China really want in the South Pacific? He wants as much access and as much influence as possible here. What's going on Good morning Good morning Mr. Nicki, the man caught in the middle is Booker, the Prime Minister of Fiji, former cou leader and military man, not used to being at the center of someone else's fight, but he likes it or not, a fierce battle is unfolding at your doorstep. Do you feel like sometimes you're really stuck between China's ambitions to exert influence here and the United States Australia's drive to exert influence here I feel stuck just because I understand Australia and the United States and I don't fully understand China's agenda.

Are you cautious? I'm why because I don't want to bother. The stability of the region and, looking to the future, we cannot afford to have major enemies for now, although Ramb Booker is juggling the attention of those trying to court him, in fact, China, the United States and Australia are competing for his loyalty with tit fortat. Offers of financial and security support is a diplomatic tap dance, but Fiji's prime minister says it's not that easy to outmaneuver the prime minister. What do you say is the biggest security threat in the region right now? The security threat to us is really uh, when our economy becomes so low and weak that people can buy in our favor, what do you mean buy in your favor?

Well, give us things we can't refuse, and by increasing his influence and profile in Eiji's affairs, are you? Speaking of China, anyone who wants to come in and load too much good stuff for us to just go and do whatever they do, fear can influence, reward can influence, there are many ways to influence, few countries know that. better than the PRC in all parts of Fiji are symbols of Beijing's ambitions, investments large and small in the local community, representative of China's growing influence in the region, but a much more covert and clandestine influence operation directed by Beijing and taking place. discovered by this man jao fugang who he is in many ways he is really the figurehead of the chinese state in fiji what his game is his game is to promote the interests of the chinese state there is no other serious player in town it is not an official role jao Fu Gang is arguably China's most important asset in Fiji, a wealthy businessman and powerful political agent.

Jaia has spent 25 years cultivating relationships with Fiji's elite. He owns this hotel, the Uli, it doesn't look like much, but over the years he has hosted a number of powerful politicians and influential people, including former prime minister Frank Bonim Marama and former police chief ciden kilo. The jaful gangs of the world, they don't sleep much, they are always doing things, they are people who seek to promote interests and We are looking to move forward 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it is a completely different scenario than what we had 20 years ago. You say Chang changed the game.

The game totally changed, yes, but while he was trying to promote Beijing's interests in Fiji, he was also supposedly pursuing a sideline. Our research here in Fiji has found that the Jao Fu gang may be much more than the Chinese Communist Party's most powerful agent of influence. Secret intelligence gathered by the agency on Camra alleges that Jaia is the most influential member of a powerful organized crime network that spans the Pacific. and poses a serious threat to Australia, is an extraordinary, if unproven, claim for Australia to make, not least because the man at the center of it is heavily backed by the Chinese state of Canra.

Australian intelligence and security agencies have observed the Jaia Fu gang's activities in Fiji. With alarm and are now waging a secret counterattack, we have seen confident reports written by two federal agencies that describe Jao as responsible for the development of Chinese political interests in Fiji, but also allege that he is associated with a variety of criminal activities affecting Australia , including large drug shipments, money laundering, immigration fraud and human trafficking, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission is so concerned about Jaia that it recently secretly designated it as an Australian Priority Organization. The goal is to place Jaia at the top of the country's most serious alleged criminal threats.

The first time a political agent has been attacked in this way, how important is the position? The PRIY organization. List of objectives. What does it mean? What does it mean in simple terms? In layman's terms, it means it's the top of the top goals in this country. John Coin is a former senior federal police intelligence officer turned analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, very similar to the former FBI's 10 Most Wanted and what we're talking about here is that crime groups are listed here most serious organized crime that impacts Australia and that has direct impacts. about Australia, the importance of that should not be underestimated, what does it say about what Australian agencies consider the ja fug gang to be doing to be listed for both being an organized crime figure and carrying out foreign influence operations ? did not happen before, there can be no doubt that behind this accusation is a belief that he has been carrying out significant criminal activity, well let me show you and as you will see, it is an accusation that the Fu gang does not want to hear, for Please sit down.

High above Sua, the Uli Hotel isn't as flashy as some of Fiji's resorts, but take the elevator to the third floor where you'll find the most powerful political agent China has in the country. Are you JF? My name is Nick McKenzie. and, rather extraordinarily, Australian authorities alleged that he is also one of the South Pacific's most serious organized criminals, suspected of facilitating large drug shipments to Australia via Fiji. If you want to bring drugs into Australia, Fiji is a great stopping point, it's the logistics hub. for the Pacific has the largest airport it has the largest ports a lot of maritime traffic passes through there so we have seen a lot of drugs passing through this really is the center of the Pacific Aubury Belford is the Pacific editor for the organized newspaper Climate and corruption reporting project in recent years.

He has watched this stretch of the Pacific Ocean become a drug highway, a coastal paradise now at the mercy of powerful criminal networks. We use FG as a transit point for huge shipments of drugs. What I have to understand is that this is one of the most profitable drug roots in the world. If you can get a piece of this, you'll make incredible amounts of money, so any organized crime group worth their salt wants a piece of this, and a lot of it. from them they have received a part of this. I mean, honestly, we don't know how many drugs come through here, we just know that the quantities are unprecedented.

Is it fair to say that Fijian authorities are overwhelmed by drug trafficking? I think it is fair. Say the Fijian authorities are struggling. Fiji really missed this growth of meth and cocaine trafficking in the country for years, it wasn't considered a priority and it was really something that was allowed to Fester, so right now. We are trying to catch up to tackle this huge, sophisticated multi-billion dollar business that encompasses the drug trade around the world and they are having a very hard time. In fact, Fiji is in the midst of a rapidly escalating war on drugs.

In January this year, police busted the biggest drug deal the country has ever seen: 4.8 tonnes of methamphetamine worth almost $1.5 billion was destined for Australia. Well, there are a lot of drugs everywhere, that is, almost five tons of trucks. Discovery, man, that's it. That's pretty scary mate, you know, this PO Tio andu andura is the Minister of the Interior of Fiji, as a man responsible for the security of his country, there is no higher priority than combating the menace of transnational drug trafficking and the people who do it. They drive and are behind him. Well, there are a lot of people behind this, some have been arrested.

I'm sure there are others out there, you know, standing behind the curtain, maybe the big ones, but I can definitely confirm that they weren't featured here. The minister readily admits that he needs all the information. help you can get when it comes to fighting organized crime in your region and our government is more than willing to help Just a few weeks ago the Australian Air Force handed over this loaded C27 to the Fijian government, there are extra eyes on the heaven to deter criminals is the kindest thing to do and a generous offer of support, but behind the scenes Australia is also waging a secret war against China's advances in the Pacific.

As Minister of the Interior, you receive information from your Western partners. I receive informationof our friends. yes, are you aware of the owner of the Uli hotel, a man named jao fugang? Yes, yes, are you aware of Australian and US concerns about your activities? Well, all I know is that there is this intelligence information that is being provided to us. where Australia is concerned about him, yes we value this intelligence we receive but we need to push it through our own system in regards to what we do here intelligence accuses jao fugang of facilitating the same drug trade as Fiji and Australia are trying to stop.

Australian Federal Police have listed Jao as a suspected member of a top-tier Pacific syndicate. It is claimed that he is seeking to provide cover for Chinese organized crime and is providing a secure hub in Fiji for drug shipments. Documents that have allegedly been deeply connected to international drug trafficking networks targeting Australia since at least 2004 is a small wonder Fiji Prime Minister Ceni Ramuka is also wary of links to China's organized crime. I suspect I'm worried about that. I don't want to, not innocently, but not objectively or thoughtlessly, open the door to someone who might turn out to be uh not a friend, you would hope would turn out to be, you're saying that Chinese entities could be, could be involved, maybe involved in the crime. organized crime, it would be a disservice to China if I said we don't want China because it might be involved: do you think the Chinese state itself might be allowing serious organized crime to be given the green light in the Pacific for the express purpose of harming Australia?

I think they are definitely tolerating the activities of criminals when they are useful to the Chinese state, according to an a&u associate. Professor Graham Smith, it is a disturbing new form of statecraft that Beijing is using, another strategy to promote China's influence in the region and what good are they for China? Well, you need solutions, you need people who know people, and often criminals play a really good role. Adexs, if you can find people who are successful businessmen and involved in criminal activity, then they are often your most effective vectors into the country because they know the people and are willing to do the things the state doesn't want to do.

It seems like an extraordinary foreign policy tool to use serious organized crime figures to advance this case up Beijing's asses. This is how empires work for years. The Jao Fu gang is suspected to be central to that OP operating in the shadows until we showed up. Do you work for him? Chinese Communist Party yes, yes, and what are you doing for the one from, sorry, from where, from Australian television, from 60 Minutes Australia, yes, I, please, can I ask? I can ask you? Does the Australian government think you might be involved in organized crime? Excuse me sir, yes, the Australian government does believe that you may be involved in organized crime, drug trafficking, serious organized crime, can I ask you about that?

You say something. Fu Gang denied the accusations and although Australian intelligence does not want to say that he is guilty of the accusations the fact that they have been made is a political issue for both Fiji and China and the Australian how will Beijing respond to the prescription the appointment of one of its main agents of influence one of its key state-backed figures in fiy as according to Australian intelligence and alleged organized crime Kingpin behind closed doors, if the allegations are true, the CCP will potentially lose a major influence asset in the region, Analyst John Coin says Australia's attack on jaia fugang will enrage the Chinese Communist Party like all forms of corruption. when a light has been shone on it, even if there is never a prosecution, if a light has been shone on a corrupt activity and it exposes it, it will stop it, so from Beijing's perspective it is a missed opportunity and potentially if the accusations are correct, then, um.

It will have a significant impact on its influence operations in the region, but it will not stop Beijing from working to achieve the kind of access it had during this 2017 Chinese police operation carried out on Fijian soil. This video was created at the height of an unprecedented situation. police partnership between the two countries based on a memorandum of understanding that gave Chinese police wide reach in Fiji an agreement that was suspended by Prime Minister Cidi Ramuka in 2023 One of the first things he did when he was elected was break the police mou between Fiji and China, why did you do this?

I did it because I didn't understand what it was for what is the current status of that mou between China and it is still suspended, it has not been canceled and at this moment there is no need. to bring it back quickly, reports come just 24 hours after our interview with the Prime Minister, Fiji's Home Secretary revealed that he had decided to relaunch the controversial security agreement, we have decided that we will continue with the same memorandum of agreement that we had previously. so the memorandum of understanding with China is back on the table, that's right, yes, respectfully, the Prime Minister said yesterday that it's still up to us at the moment.

We continue with that relationship. I have assured the Chinese authority that we will continue in the same line under the government's adjustment, that is, yes, that is what we are. Conflicting messages from Fiji's two most powerful men betray tensions in the region and will set off alarm bells in Cambra and Washington as Australia tries to counter China's advances in the battle for influence in the Pacific Home Affairs Minister fg He told us that Reen was encouraged, he has put this police agreement, this memorandum between Fiji and China, back on the table, does that worry you? It's a concern, but not a surprise, because Fiji is dealing with some really serious transactional crime problems. drugs and I think they are desperate they want to find a way to tackle them and they know the source of a lot of these crimes are all coming from China you say they are desperate why I think they are desperate because a lot of this crime is outside their

control

control, so they need all the help they can get so they can fully understand why they have joined.

It is a good idea? It is not for me to say whether China crosses a line in its conduct. Are you ready to call them? Yes, we are prepared and what is your warning to China if they go too far. We will have to tell them that we know you are a great power, but we are both equally sovereign states in the world. Hello. I'm Nick McKenzie, thanks for watching 60 Minutes Australia. Subscribe to our channel now to receive new stories and exclusive clips every week and don't miss our bonus minute segments and full episodes of 60 Minutes on 9 now now.com com.au. and the N Now app