The Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China in Fiji has refuted reports by leading Australian current affairs program 60 Minutes that it has close ties with Fijian Hotelier Zhao Fugang who is at the middle of an investigative story run by the organisation.
A statement issued by the embassy yesterday says as far as they know, the owner of Yue Lai Hotel Zhao Fugang is a Fijian national.
It also said that the suspicion of the relation between the Chinese government and the Chinese community that includes Fugang in Fiji is entirely groundless.
The 60 Minutes story is about the arrest and deportation of 77 Chinese nationals by Chinese Police from Fiji without any court or legal processes in 2017.
The Chinese government says it attaches great importance to and is fully committed to protecting the safety and lawful rights and interests of overseas Chinese nationals.
It says they always ask overseas Chinese nationals to comply with local laws and regulations, and not to engage in any illegal activities.
The Chinese Embassy says China always believes that different civilizations should respect and learn from each other with an open mind and countries should strive for harmonious coexistence, win-win cooperation, and peaceful development.
The Chinese Embassy said that law enforcement and police cooperation between China and Fiji is professional, open, and transparent.
In 2011, the Embassy said that the two sides already signed the Memorandum Of Understanding between China’s Ministry of Public Security and Fiji’s Ministry of Defence, National Security and Policing, which has significantly promoted the exchanges and cooperation of law enforcement and police cooperation between the two countries.
The Embassy said under the MOU, China has provided assistance and capacity training for the Fijian Police.
The statement said that Chinese and Fijian Police have worked together for joint investigations on specific transnational crimes.
