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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 14 March 2023

Micronesia’s president accuses China of ‘political warfare’

By NICK PERRY eled to Fiji in July to attend
Associated Press the Pacific Islands Forum,
WELLINGTON, New Zealand he was followed around
(AP) — Micronesia’s presi- by two Chinese men, who
dent accused China of Micronesia discovered
“political warfare” in a let- worked for the Chinese Em-
ter to other national lead- bassy in Fiji and included
ers and discussed switch- an intelligence officer.
ing diplomatic allegiance “To be clear: I have had di-
from China to Taiwan in ex- rect threats against my per-
change for $50 million. sonal safety from PRC (Peo-
President David Panuelo ple’s Republic of China)
said China had been using officials acting in an official
nefarious tactics, including capacity,” Panuelo wrote.
spying and offering bribes, He said that in February, he
in an effort to ensure that met with Taiwan’s Foreign
if it goes to war with Tai- Minister Joseph Wu and
wan, Micronesia would be told him that Micronesia
aligned with China rather would need money for its
than the United States, or trust fund if it was to switch
would at least abstain from diplomatic allegiance.
taking sides. “I was transparent with For-
Panuelo sent the 13-page President of Micronesia David Panuelo addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General eign Minister Wu; we proj-
letter dated March 9, Assembly, at U.N. headquarters on Sept. 22, 2022. ect we need an injection of
which was obtained by The Associated Press approximately $50 million
Associated Press, to state switched allegiance from dor to accept an envelope its own national conditions to meet our future needs,”
governors and other po- Taiwan to China in recent filled with money, which he and have supported the Panuelo wrote. “We can
litical leaders of the Pacific years. refused. Micronesian side in safe- and will receive this, over
nation. “I believe that our values China denied the allega- guarding independence,” a three-year period, if and
The letter represented an are presently being used tions. Mao said. when we establish diplo-
unusually frank assessment against us” Panuelo wrote “We noted relevant reports, Panuelo gave other ex- matic relations with Tai-
of China’s motives in the in his letter. “One of the in which the smear and ac- amples of what he called wan.” He said Micronesia
region and laid bare the fi- reasons that China’s politi- cusations against China China’s “grey zone” activi- would also receive an an-
nancial incentives for small- cal warfare is successful in are completely inconsistent ties. He said that Chinese nual $15 million assistance
er countries to switch diplo- so many arenas is that we with the facts,” Chinese research vessels had been package and Taiwan
matic allegiance. are bribed to be complicit, Foreign Ministry spokesper- operating inside Micro- would take over various
Should Micronesia switch bribed to be silent.” son Mao Ning said at a dai- nesia’s ocean territory to projects that China had
allegiance to Taiwan, it He gave examples, saying ly briefing Friday. “We’ve spy, by mapping potential begun, including a nation-
would represent a rare win that when the vice presi- always respected Micro- resources and submarine al convention center, two
for the self-governing island, dent was a senator, he was nesia’s development path travel paths. state government com-
after several Pacific nations asked by China’s ambassa- that it has chosen in light of He said that when he trav- plexes, and two gyms.q

Report: Ukraine world’s 3rd biggest arms importer in 2022

By JARI TANNER chasing in the past decade decades. tween the two periods, SIPRI, established in 1966,

Associated Press and India imported more However, the gap between and its share of global arms is an independent interna-
HELSINKI (AP) — Russia’s in- arms in the year, SIPRI said the two has been widen- exports decreased from tional institute dedicated
vasion of Ukraine that has in its report on global arms ing significantly, while that 22% to 16%, while France’s to research into conflict, ar-
led to a substantial flow of transfers. between Russia and the share increased from 7.1% maments, arms control and
military aid to Kyiv from the Pieter Wezeman, senior re- third largest arms supplier, to 11%. disarmament.q
United States and Europe searcher with the SIPRI Arms France, has narrowed. The
made Ukraine the world’s Transfers Program noted think tank said it was likely
third largest importer of that even as arms transfers that the invasion of Ukraine
arms in 2022, a Swedish declined globally last year, will further limit Russia’s arms
think tank said Monday. “those to Europe have risen exports due to Moscow’s
The Stockholm Internation- sharply due to the tensions need to prioritize supplying
al Peace Research Insti- between Russia and most its own armed forces and
tute, or SIPRI, reported that other European states.” He low demand from other
from 1991, when Ukraine said that following Russia’s states due to trade sanc-
became independent invasion of Ukraine, Euro- tions.
amid the fall of the Soviet pean states want to import SIPRI’s data showed that
Union, until the end of 2021, more arms, “faster.” U.S. arms exports increased
Ukraine imported few ma- SIPRI said that the export of by 14% between the peri-
jor arms. arms has long been domi- ods 2013–17 and 2018–22,
But Moscow’s invasion on nated by the United States and Washington account-
Feb. 24 last year markedly and Russia with the two ed for 40% of global arms
changed that. Only Qa- countries being the largest exports in 2018–22. A Ukrainian paratrooper of 95 Air Assault brigade aims to fire
by MSLR BM-21 “Grad” towards Russian positions at the frontline
tar which has dramatically and second-largest arms Meanwhile, Russia’s arms near Kreminna, Ukraine, Thursday, March 9, 2023.
ramped up its arms pur- exporters for the past three exports fell by 31% be- Associated Press