Via Herald Sun:
THE charity work of a Melbourne man accused of preparing an act of foreign interference for China has been praised by Liberal MP Gladys Liu.
The Victorian backbencher said a donation presented to the Royal Melbourne Hospital by Di Sanh Duong on behalf of the Oceania Federation of Chinese Associations was “inspiring”.
Mr Duong, 65, also known as Sunny Duong, became the first person charged under Australia’s landmark foreign interference laws at the start of November, after a year-long investigation by the counter-foreign interference federal task force.
In June, Mr Duong delivered the donation at the hospital alongside acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge.
Ms Liu expressed her support of the organisation in an Australian Strategic Policy Institute report published this week, which raised the eyebrows of some Labor and Liberal MPs.
The Herald Sun understands the comments were written in August, with no attempt made by Ms Liu to change or remove them in the month between charges being laid and the report being published.
“When it comes to demonstrating their pride in Australia, multicultural communities have really stepped up to the plate in delivering support during difficult times this year,” she wrote. “Another inspiring example was reported in June, when the Oceania Federation of Chinese Organisations … presented the Royal Melbourne with a donation of more than $37,000 for the hospital’s COVID appeal.”
A spokesman for Ms Liu said the submission was made before federal authorities swooped.
“Ms Liu made her final submission to ASPI prior to the charges against Mr Duong,” the spokesman said in a statement.
In other words, Ms Liu is not upset about endorsing alleged bribery and CCP influence operations, she is upset that she got caught doing it.
Put a sock in it Gladys. Your dirty money mates are the reason Australia is fighting for its life. To wit:
Australia’s peak intelligence agency has warned the federal government that the Chinese Communist Party covertly controls sections of Chinese-language media in Australia as part of its foreign interference and influence operation.
The Office of National Intelligence has confidentially briefed the government that many of Australia’s most popular Chinese-language news outlets have been co-opted by Beijing to advance China’s strategic interests.
The briefings also highlight that hugely popular WeChat news sites in Australia are subject to complete control and censorship by Beijing, with some accounts directly managed by the Communist Party.
Ban WeChat. Cut Chinese immigration.
