The Chinese Consulate General in Sydney issued a statement Wednesday (Sept. 16) in response to Australian allegations that the Chinese Consulate General and its officials have engaged in “infiltration activities” into the country, calling them “a fabrication and a malicious slander.
The statement said: “The Chinese Consulate General in Sydney is committed to promoting friendly exchanges and practical cooperation between China and New South Wales in all fields” and “has always abided by international law and the basic norms of international relations” in carrying out its duties in Australia.
The statement came a day after the Chinese consulate in Sydney reported that Australian police had mentioned in a search warrant the name of Sun Yantao, an official in charge of overseas Chinese affairs at the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney. The Chinese believe that the Australian approach violates international diplomatic law.
At the heart of the investigation into foreign infiltration is the question of whether the Consulate General in Sydney conspired with a former Chinese government official, Zhang Zhisen, an advisor to the New South Wales Parliament, to infiltrate the NSW Labor Party in order to influence local voters.
Australian police examined Zhisen’s communications records, including emails, texts, and phone calls, as well as his correspondence with Chinese diplomats and consular officials.
According to Australian media reports, Zhishen claimed his innocence and accused Australian authorities of violating international diplomatic law.
In a letter to a federal government minister last month, Jensen said that Australian police and border enforcement agencies had examined and copied his communications with senior Chinese diplomats and consular officials in Australia.
In addition, police searched his computer and cell phone at Sydney Airport in January and raided his home, business and the offices of the New South Wales parliament in June.
The investigation into foreign infiltration and influence of Australian politicians focuses on China, Australian government lawyers formally acknowledged for the first time in documents filed with the High Court of Australia on Sept. 1, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
The search warrant used by police “clearly identified” the foreign party responsible as the “People’s Republic of China,” the court document said.
Under Australia’s anti-foreign interference laws, any disruptive conduct by a foreign agency in support of its intelligence activities and attempts to interfere with Australia’s democratic process is a criminal offense.
The investigation, which has been ongoing for several months and involves many individuals, including Australian politicians, Chinese diplomats and journalists, has added new pressure to the deteriorating Australia-China relationship.
Last month, Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who works for Chinese state media CCTV, was secretly arrested by Chinese authorities for national security issues. Last week, two Australian journalists in China were evacuated from China after being questioned in relation to Cheng Lei’s case.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on September 8 that the questioning of the two Australian journalists was part of a “normal law enforcement operation”.
Australia’s Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said last week that the recent search of the two Chinese journalists was “appropriate” and “purely evidence-related”.
Australia-China relations have plummeted this year. In April, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an independent international investigation into the source of the neoconavirus, provoking Beijing’s ire. China subsequently retaliated with a variety of restrictive measures against major Australian exports.
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