A court in Australia found a man from Melbourne who held prominent positions within Chinese community associations guilty of planning an act of foreign interference, marking the first conviction under a law introduced in 2008.
Di Sanh Duong, a former member of the Liberal Party, was charged in 2020 with preparing or planning an act of foreign interference, and the court found him guilty of these charges, said the Australia Federal Police (AFP). Prosecutors reportedly told the court that Duong had been in regular contact with Chinese intelligence and sought to influence a federal government minister to further the aims of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
It was alleged that Duong tried to cultivate a relationship with then government-minister Alan Tudge on behalf of the CCP by arranging for Tudge to receive 37,450 Australian dollars (then equivalent to $25,800) in a novelty check donation raised by community organisations for a Melbourne hospital.
“A main goal of this system is to win over friends for the Chinese Communist Party, it involves generating sympathy for the party and its policies,” Prosecutor Patrick Doyle told the jury, adding that Duong exuded confidence that Tudge would be the future Prime Minister of Australia.
However, Duong has pleaded not guilty to the charges and will be sentenced at a later date. The law stipulates that foreign interference activity undermines Australia's national interests and is secretly carried out on behalf of a foreign government.
When the law was introduced five years ago, then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull cited allegations of Chinese government interference in Australian politics and universities, sparking an angry response from Beijing.
Duong became the first person to be convicted under federal laws banning foreign interference in domestic politics. The laws offended China, an important trading partner for Australia, and resulted in a speedy deterioration of bilateral relations.
The 68-year-old Melbourne businessman and Chinese community leader was released on bail and is facing a 10-year prison sentence.
(with inputs from Reuters, AP)
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