Australian lawmaker in political storm over China links

Australia’s first Chinese-Australian female lower house MP is embroiled in a political storm over her alleged links to Chinese propaganda organisations in a move that reflects growing concern in the west about Beijing’s foreign influence activities.

Gladys Liu, a 55-year-old government lawmaker who was born in Hong Kong, admitted this week to being an honorary member of a Guangdong association overseen by the United Front Work Department — the overseas propaganda arm of the Chinese Communist party. The disclosure followed an interview this week, where Ms Liu said she could not recall if she was a member of the association and appeared out of step with government policy when she refused to criticise China over its actions in the South China Sea.

On Thursday opposition lawmakers demanded the centre-right government clarify media reports, which allege the ruling party was warned by security agencies about Ms Liu’s alleged ties to Beijing prior to her selection as an election candidate. 

“In light of these reports, the prime minister must urgently demonstrate to the Australian people what steps he took to ensure that Gladys Liu is in fact a fit and proper person to sit in the Australian parliament,” said Mark Dreyfus, Labor’s spokesman on constitutional affairs. 

This call from the opposition was dismissed by Scott Morrison, Australia’s prime minister, who defended Ms Liu and labelled the attacks on the Liberal party MP as a “smear campaign” with grubby racial undertones. 

“They seek to smear an Australian of Chinese heritage simply for the fact she did a clumsy interview . . . I think people should reflect very carefully in the way they have sought to attack Gladys over this matter and the broader smear that I think it implied,” he said. 

Mr Morrison refused to answer whether the security agencies had warned the government or Liberal party about Ms Liu’s ties to Beijing. 

Western nations are increasingly concerned about Chinese influence activities co-ordinated by United Front, which analysts claim has stepped up efforts aimed at influencing the Chinese diaspora, media and politics overseas. Canberra recently passed a swath of foreign influence laws following a scandal involving a Labor politician and a billionaire Chinese donor and has been at the forefront of moves by western nations aimed at strengthening internal security. 

Richard McGregor, analyst at the Lowy Institute, said Beijing had an explicit policy to corral the Chinese diaspora in support of its policies. Actions to investigate foreign influence could look like an uncomfortable spectacle but were necessary, he said. 

“It looks McCarthyist and looks like it has a tinge of racism. But in fact, it’s addressing a genuine problem — a genuine ‘Made in China’ problem,” he said. 

Ms Liu’s survival is critical to the Liberal-National coalition, which depends on her seat to maintain its slender two-seat majority in parliament. 

The political storm surrounding Ms Liu follows an ongoing corruption inquiry in New South Wales involving a A$100,000 donation to the Labor party by Huang Xiangmo, a Chinese property developer recently barred from the country due to his alleged ties with Beijing.