The Origin of Mysterious Australian Donations
(Jennifer's note: An investigation by Four Corners and Fairfax Media in Australia titled “Power and Influence,” broadcast June 5, 2017, uncovered how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has burrowed deep into the Australian political system. This report has so far caused world wide ripple effects. I then realized that actually I had written this article 8 years ago, in July 2009, to expose the same person, Chau Chak Wing! On the one hand, I am glad that this serious issue has finally got some attention from Australia's highest intelligence agency; on the other hand, I felt very sad that it took so long for the mainstream society to pay some attention to this. And what's more alarming is, this kind of thing does not happen in Australia alone!)
In July, Australian media reported that a mysterious Chinese billionaire—Chau Chak Wing, ranked 24th on a 2003 list of China’s wealthiest magnates—has become the biggest political donator worldwide.
Since 2002, Chinese media have been reporting on Chau, and the “glorious history” of how he turned the Chao Xin Association into an enterprise earning assets over tens of billions of Yuan.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Chau has successfully kept a low profile in the past few years. He has refused numerous interviews until recently, when he offered to provide plane tickets and housing for reporters to visit him at his estate in GuangChou.
When journalists arrived at the airport, they received VIP treatment and a ride in luxurious Bentleys along the empty highway to Chau Chak Wing’s private estate, where a 27-hole golf course, 6-star hotel, and luxurious villas were being constructed.
But despite the lavish treatment, what really struck reporters was Chau’s choice of Australian political figures to donate to. Not only is he the guest of honor of former New South Wales Premier Bob Carr and former New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma, he also provided financial aid for current Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Treasurer Wayne Swan, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, and Head of Agricultural Department Tony Burke for their trip to China in 2004-2005, before they became important figures.
Between 2006-2008, Chou donated A$980,000 and A$402,000 to the Australian Labor Party and union Party, respectively. When this was revealed, the media expressed concern that Australian political figures would not be able to maintain an independent position after having received such large sums.
So where do Chou’s interests lie? People in China know that without support from top level officials within the Chinese Communist Party, it is impossible for anyone to become as powerful and wealthy as Chou. Therefore, benefiting from such hefty donations, Australian officials might be more beholden to Chinese interests than the people of the country that they are meant to serve.
As a matter of fact, Chau’s own Australian New Express Daily has even not so subtly hinted at this scheme. Last April, on the eve of the Beijing Olympics torch arrival in Canberra, the newspaper carried an article titled “Our Paper Delivered One Thousand National Flags to Chinese Students,” highlighting the upcoming event of “the Olympics torch coloring the entire nation of Australia red with Chinese national flags” made possible by Australian New Express Daily.
In addition, Chou is the Honorary Chairman of the Australian Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China, known to be a front for the Chinese Communist agenda.
Chen Yonglin, former Consul of Political Affairs at the Consulate General of the PRC in Sydney, recently exposed the CCP’s “peripheral strategy” in targeting Australia. With this understanding, one can envision that, to solidify its dominance in the region, the CCP is systematically infiltrating foreign government and media, while tightening its control within its own borders.
This is why the strange phenomenon of “the have-nots relieving the haves” appeared: Australia’s largest overseas political contribution comes from China, where the national income per capita is 20 times lower than that of Australia. Also, a minority newspaper such as Australian New Express Daily has the ability to motivate thousands of people to battle “in defense of the Olympics torch.”
During the Olympics torch relay last April, Canberra, the peaceful “city of gardens,” was suddenly turned into a sea of red flags. Patriotic Chinese students possessed by a complex nationalism believed the “defense of the Olympics torch” was a “victory.” But in Australians'' eyes, the scene of the city submerged in the sea of red flags was horrifying, as they wondered if a separate country had formed in the Chinese community in their neighborhoods.
Therefore, at this time Australians should be asking, “Where did the ‘mysterious’ political contribution come from? And is it really unconditional?”
And the Chinese should ask, “Why did the CCP squander our hard-made money and for what purpose?”
Of course, under the current circumstances, Chinese people have no right-to-know, not to mention the right-to-question. But I believe, as time goes by, the day for Chinese people to truly become “masters of their own country” is well on its way.
Click here to watch "Power and Influence":
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2017/…/05/4678871.htm
