The chances of China interfering in Australia’s federal election in May are amplified as there are rumors of the Chinese politically funding several candidates ahead of the election. It is very natural to suspect this as it has been pointed out by Clive Hamilton’s “Silent Invasion: China’s Influence in Australia (translated by Kim Hee-ju, 2021),” which calls out the Chinese Communist Party and its influence in Australian politics, business, and academia.
Reuters reported on the 16th that Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has put a tough stance on China at the forefront of the election campaign. As foreign and security issues have emerged as the biggest concern ahead of the federal election, it has become the “anti-China conservative party” versus the “pro-China Labor Party”. As Peter Dutton, defense minister from the ruling party, claimed that China is using the Labor Party for change in government, the Labor Party is arguing that he is using national security as a weapon in this political struggle.
China’s state-run media have undermined the Australian government’s ruling party, who are anti-China, and started to create public opinion with foreign contributions supporting the opposition party. Prime Minister Morrison is making a move in advance for them to have a disadvantage in the upcoming election. The Global Times, an English-language CCP-affiliated newspaper, published an opinion piece written by former Australian diplomat Bruce Haigh criticizing Morrison by calling him “a clown” and that his government “is imploding, through corruption, failure to manage COVID-19 and a range of other anti-social programs and prejudices.” On the other hand, he comments on the opposition’s leader Anthony Albanese as “a safe leader, if not an ordinary leader.”
In an unprecedented matter, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) has repeatedly emphasized its opposition to the way national security is being politicized. The ASIO and the Australian Federal Police have recently expressed their concerns about the possibility of foreign interference in elections and espionage. In a statement aimed at China, though he didn’t directly mention the country’s name, Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said on the 14th that there have been increased foreign interference and espionage activities to influence the upcoming election. One type of foreign interference mentioned was the attempt to monitor and attack Australians who oppose authoritarian states, implying China.
On the previous day, Senator Kimberly Kitching (Labor Party) revealed the name of a Chinese-Australian billionaire in a Senate hearing and suggested that he acted as a “puppeteer” backed by a foreign government and donated enormous political funds to candidates for the election. According to multiple local media reports, an anonymous businessman with strong ties with China tried to provide funds to candidates running for governor of New South Wales in exchange for their influence when elected, but the ASIO blocked this operation.
In particular, the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age reported that Chinese intelligence agencies were behind the operation, citing anonymous sources. The Chinese Embassy in Australia reportedly did not respond to any emails requesting comments on the report.
Under Prime Minister Morrison, the current government’s stance is “to be on the side of the United States” and “be distant with China.” China’s interference in Australia, which is a mainstay of the Indo-Pacific region amid the growing U.S.-China conflict, is expected to continue. The diplomatic route could change if a pro-China Labor Party candidate is elected in the federal election. The fate of the country will fluctuate.
Australia is a part of the U.S.-led cooperatives against China, including Five Eyes, Quad, and Aukus. On the 11th, Melbourne hosted the Quad meeting with the foreign ministers of the U.S., Japan, India, and Australia.
Original article: https://www.jayupress.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=2586
