2023-12-20 03:45:01
Chinese leader who helped China win over Australian officials was convicted under anti-foreign interference law
20.12.2023
A Chinese community leader accused of wooing Australian officials for Beijing was found guilty by a Melbourne court on the 19th. He became the first person to be convicted of planning and implementing “foreign interference” and might be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.
(Deutsche Welle Chinese website)Australian police arrested Yang Yisheng, a Chinese man from Vietnam, for violating the Anti-Foreign Interference Act 2 years ago.(Duong Di Sanh, also known as Sunny Duong), accusing him of assisting the Chinese Communist Party to win over the former Australian federal minister. The Melbourne court found Yang Yisheng guilty on Tuesday (December 19). Yang Yisheng became the first person to be convicted under the Anti-Foreign Interference Law since the introduction of the Anti-Foreign Interference Law in 2018.
The Australian prosecutor pointed out that Yang Yisheng had frequent contacts with Beijing intelligence personnel and attempted to improperly influence officials who were expected to become Australia’s future prime minister through donations.
Yang Yisheng insisted in court that he was not guilty. He was released on bail following the verdict on the 19th. He will appear in court once more in February next year to hear sentencing. He may be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.
Further reading: Australia: Confidence in resolving wine export disputes to China early next year
Allegation
It is reported that during the 2020 COVID-19 epidemic, Yang Yisheng used the funds raised by the Chinese community to donate 37,450 Australian dollars to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and arranged for Alan Tudge, who was then a minister of the Australian federal government, to make the donation. Checks will be accepted at the event.
The prosecutor pointed out that given that Yang Yisheng had frequent contacts with Chinese intelligence personnel and tried to “exercise undue influence” on Thaci, whom he considered a potential prime minister, they did not believe that his donation was made in good faith.
Yang Yisheng’s lawyer said in court that Yang Yisheng likes to brag regarding his connections, but denied that he was recruited by Beijing officials or followed orders from China.
Who is Yang Yisheng?
Yang Yisheng, 68, entered Australia as a Vietnamese refugee in 1980. In the past, he was a member of the Conservative Liberal Party of Australia, the vice chairman of the Australian-Chinese History Museum, and the chairman of the Oceania Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao Chinese Association. Southeast of Melbourne The Chinese community is quite famous as a leader. In addition, he is also believed to be related to the “China Peaceful Reunification Promotion Committee” which is affiliated with the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in Beijing.
Australian prosecutors told the jury that Chinese authorities regard Yang Yisheng as an “ideal target” to serve as an agent. “The main goal of this system is to help the Chinese Communist Party win friends. It involves generating sympathy for the (Communist) Party and its policies.” ”.
Previously, the Federal Police stated that the Counter Foreign Interference Task Force (CFI), co-led by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), actually began investigating Yang Yisheng as early as 2019, and chose to prosecute him as a “precautionary measure.” Sabotage his operation at an early stage.
Australia passed the Anti-Foreign Interference Law in 2018, requiring political lobbyists to declare whether they serve other countries, and significantly increasing the penalties for espionage activities. At the time, the outside world believed that this was to prevent infiltration forces from China.
Australian Prime Minister Albanese met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in November this year to ease tensions in bilateral relations.
(comprehensive report)
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