Taipei: A US think tank has raised concerns that China is using transnational criminal organisations to push its political agenda in Palau, potentially damaging the island nation’s diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Taipei Times reported.
According to a report by Pacific Economics, Transnational criminal organisations have been investing in Palau, which is one of the tactics China uses to exert influence on the island nation, alongside initiatives in areas such as academia, business and culture.
Further, the report said, one of the crime syndicates is the Prince Group, a Chinese-Cambodian conglomerate founded by Chinese businessman Chen Zhi, as per Taipei Times.
The group has been implicated in money laundering, online scams and human trafficking, drawing scrutiny from the Chinese government and Radio Free Asia, it said. According to Taipei Times, the Prince Group has also proposed investing over USD 1 billion in resort developments in Palau. (ANI)
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