On 20 December 2023, CNN reported the first-ever conviction under Australia’s foreign influence laws. Di Sanh Duong, a 68-year-old businessman in Melbourne, was found guilty of planning an act of foreign interference for the Chinese Communist Party. The conviction, carrying a maximum 10-year prison sentence, marks a legal first in Australia since the introduction of these laws in 2018, following concerns over Beijing’s attempts to influence Australian politics. Duong’s conviction stems from a 2020 incident where he presented a $25,000 donation to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in the presence of former federal minister Alan Tudge. The donation was intended to gain Tudge’s favor, according to federal prosecutors, although Tudge was not accused of wrongdoing. Evidence included intercepted phone calls where Duong discussed the strategic value of a relationship with Tudge. The prosecution portrayed Duong as an “ideal target” for China’s United Front Work Department, an organization accused of global foreign influence operations for the Chinese government. The case highlights increasing vigilance against foreign interference in Australian democracy, with the Australian Federal Police and the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce playing key roles in this investigation. Duong’s sentencing is scheduled for next year. On 25 December, we reported that a group of New York State Republican legislators had embarked on a ten-day visit to China as part of a “friendship delegation” where they met with with several Chinese officials and subsidiaries of the United Front Work Department.
ChinaDecember 29 2023, 5:05 am
Historic Conviction in Australia for Chinese Foreign Influence Plot
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