Substantive policy concessions to Beijing are off the table, but thehas the chance to lead the debate away from divisions with China while getting serious about the impact of the Chinese government on political liberties within diaspora communities.
Among the many recent bones of contention between Australia and China, none were as explosive as foreign interference: “covert, coercive or corrupting” involvement in Australian politics and public discourse on behalf of a foreign state. Most Australians would agree that these activities should be prohibited, with stern penalties attached.But rather than defining interference in such terms, Australia’s high-profile 2018 legislative response criminalised a far broader sweep of activity.
ASIO has focused on the potential of targets being coerced into co-operating with foreign security agencies. Approaching the issue in this way recasts the victims as potential threats.The public discussion of Chinese influence that propelled the EFI legislation through parliament placed Chinese-Australians in public life under a microscope. The term “Chinese influence” is both divisive and ambiguous.
The new government should establish a “transnational rights protection office” within the Australian Human Rights Commission. Tasked with ensuring human rights are protected within Australia, the commission has not publicly identified protecting targeted migrant and diaspora communities from political coercion and harassment as a priority.
we had allowed over 1mil mainland Chinese n now they have a lot of influence in parliament They wanted a more friendly relation with China In reality China is a menace as we can see they r stirring the pot in the Pacific which far away from China Pro HK supported LNP
The time for Australians to stop being vigilant against Chinese Communist Party interference is NEVER (but that is not an excuse for unfairly or prematurely judging anyone - we can and will walk and chew gum!).