The US has sanctioned two politicians from Pacific island nations over corruption and growing China influence. The Trump administration targeted Hokkons Baules, Palau’s Senate president, and Anderson Jibas, former mayor in the Marshall Islands. The US Department of State accused both of “significant corruption” on Tuesday and banned them and their families from entering the US. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott wrote, “The Trump Administration will not allow foreign public officials to steal from U.S. taxpayers or threaten U.S. interests.” The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement added, “Corruption that hurts U.S. interests will be met with significant consequences.” Baules is accused of accepting bribes to boost China’s presence in Palau, a tiny island country. “His actions constituted significant corruption and adversely affected U.S. interests in Palau,” the US said. Baules has also supported closer ties with China over Taiwan, stirring regional tensions. Jibas faces allegations of misusing the Bikini Resettlement Trust fund, a US-backed aid source worth nearly $59 million in 2017 for nuclear testing victims. Since local control was given, the fund has shrunk to just $100,000 by 2023, stopping payments to survivors. Reports suggest Jibas spent the fund on personal expenses like vacations and a vehicle. The State Department linked Jibas’s corruption to increased Chinese power in the Pacific and rising US-bound migration. “The theft, misuse, and abuse of the U.S.-provided money wasted U.S. taxpayer money and contributed to a loss of jobs, food insecurity, migration to the United States,” it stated. Both Palau and the Marshall Islands maintain close military and diplomatic ties with the US, including recognition of Taiwan. China is pressuring such nations to switch allegiance to Beijing, intensifying a regional tug-of-war. The US sanctions mark a sharp stance against corruption and foreign influence in the Pacific. “These designations reaffirm the United States’ commitment to countering global corruption affecting U.S. interests,” the State Department said.