Via The Australian:
ASIO has identified about 10 political candidates at state and local government elections whom it believes have close ties to Chinese intelligence services, in what security officials assess as a deliberate strategy by Beijing to wield influence through Australian politics.
Days after the Turnbull government unveiled a package of measures aimed at cracking down on foreign meddling in Australia’s political affairs, fresh details are emerging about the extent to which political parties have been compromised by foreigners, in particular the Chinese government.
Most of those whom security services identified as having close ties to Chinese intelligence services and the Communist Party were candidates at local government elections, but concerns have been raised about state and federal figures as well.
The Weekend Australian understands that at least one of those candidates successfully obtained elected office, and remains there today.
It is understood that in the case of that politician, ASIO believes his relationship with the Chinese security services predates his election.
Much of the concern centres on politics in western Sydney, where parties vie for the support of ethnic constituencies. The extent of the penetration has been described to The Weekend Australian as being “patchy but deep”.
Chen Yonglin, the Chinese diplomat who defected to Australia in 2005, says the Chinese government has been far more brazen in its attempts to mould opinion in Australia than it has elsewhere.
“In Australia it seems there’s no limitation at all, the Chinese do it publicly,’’ Mr Chen told The Weekend Australian.
“It seems they are above the law in Australia. They are braver than their activity in the US.
“In the USA, they have been very cautious.”
This is all bloody unfortunate but it is what it is. The interference is very likely true. But ASIO is very likely fallible as well. That said, there’s no need to hide the activity among the greedy little convicts. To wit, via the AFR:
Former trade minister Andrew Robb told Coalition MPs that a policy of containment directed at China is destined to fail and urged an end to Cold War thinking about Beijing’s rise.
In what one attendee described as a “pro-China rant”, Mr Robb told about 30 MPs in October that US leaders were paranoid about China, AFR Weekend can reveal.
He also complained at the Menzies Research Institute’s private dinner for government MPs how his reputation was being maligned because of his work with a Chinese company.
Guests observed Mr Robb’s comments visibly irritated Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who had earlier briefed MPs on the upcoming foreign policy white paper and its endorsement of the US alliance.
Details of the dinner have emerged amid Mr Robb’s furious reaction to being dragged into the debate over foreign interference in Australia’s political system.
Mr Robb is protesting way too much. He sounds a lot like Beijing, also via The Australian:
China says Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has undermined mutual trust by accusing foreign powers of seeking to influence the country’s political process.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Mr Turnbull’s remarks were prejudiced against China and had poisoned the atmosphere of China-Australia relations.
“We are astounded by the relevant remarks of the Australian leader. Such remarks simply cater to the irresponsible reports by some Australian media that are without principle and full of bias against China,” Geng said at a regularly scheduled briefing.
“It poisons the atmosphere of the China-Australia relationship and undermines the foundation of mutual trust and bilateral cooperation. We express strong dissatisfaction with that and have made a serious complaint with the Australian side,” he said.
Who poisoned relations? Who’s using the democratic system against itself? Labor says the Government:
On Saturday, the Labor MP Pat Conroy accused the government of leaking intelligence information about Chinese influence to damage the opposition.
“You just have to look at who leaked the supposed Asio briefing to the press,” Conroy told the ABC. “It has come from someone from the government – the intelligence agencies would never do that – someone from the government has leaked classified intelligence in an attempt to embarrass the Labor party.”
The Liberal MP Craig Kelly said foreign governments would not be able to trust Australia if Dastyari were part of the government. “How can the US and how can the UK be prepared to share sensitive intelligence information if they think that Senator Dastyari could potentially sit in the government?” he told the ABC.
Labor does not yet get the gravity of the shift. From The Australian:
A senior Turnbull government minister suspects Australia hasn’t heard the end of the saga around a Labor senator’s involvement with Chinese donors.
But cabinet minister Peter Dutton says his assessment is based not on advice from intelligence agencies but what he knows of Labor powerbroker Sam Dastyari’s history so far.
“My prediction is there will be a lot more that comes out in relation to Mr Dastyari,” Mr Dutton told Sky News today.
“He’s a shady figure. If he’s a double agent he shouldn’t be in the Australian Senate.”
Asked whether this assessment was based on advice from Australia’s spy agencies, the minister who is a member of cabinet’s national security committee, said it was not and he would not comment on security information if it were available to him.
“I make it simply on the history of Sam Dastyari,” Mr Dutton said.
And again:
“It was an assertion of sovereignty, it was an assertion of pride,” the Prime Minister told reporters in Sydney on Saturday.
“And so we say ‘the Australian people stand up’.” Mr Turnbull this week in parliament cited “disturbing reports about Chinese influence”, but he was more blunt on Saturday.
“There has been foreign interference in Australian politics, plainly,” he said. “(Labor senator) Sam Dastyari is a very clear case of somebody who has literally taken money from people closely associated with the Chinese government and, in return for that, has delivered essentially Chinese policy statements.”
It’s reds “under the beds” straight into the next election now. Or will it, via The Australian:
A Liberal Party-aligned fundraising machine will host a private business briefing by Chinese government officials for federal and state government MPs and its corporate members on China’s Belt and Road economic and strategic policy, just a week after Malcolm Turnbull warned of the spread of foreign political influence in Australia.
The Australian has learned that The 500 Club, a West Australian corporate fundraising vehicle aligned with the Liberal Party, has sent invitations to state Liberal and Nationals MPs, including several federal ministers, for a private briefing by Chinese government and business “delegates” at the Hyatt Hotel in Perth tomorrow.
No federal WA Liberal or Nationals MP contacted by The Australian said they would be attending.
A senior Liberal Party source said it was the first time that they were aware that a foreign government had addressed a party fundraiser. The event promotes a briefing by visiting “Chinese government officials and business delegates” on China’s strategic and economic ambitions under the One Belt One Road policy.
It has an interpreter and “delegate” to be seated at every table.
With Mr Turnbull last week introducing new laws to curb foreign interference and influence, several federal Liberal MPs said the briefing was “bad timing”.
“It is concerning and clear evidence that it’s not just parts of the Labor Party, such as the NSW right, that are being targeted,” one senior Liberal Party source said. “Given the confirmation by the Prime Minister last week of what is going on, there is clearly a need for greater vigilance on behalf of political parties.
