Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has described allegations of a Chinese plot to infiltrate Canberra's parliament as 'deeply disturbing'. The claims, first reported by local network Nine, suggest a suspected Chinese espionage ring approached a Chinese-Australian man to run as a candidate for the ruling Liberal Party.
The 32-year-old man, identified as luxury car dealer Bo 'Nick' Zhao, allegedly was offered A$1m (£520,000) to fund his election campaign for a Melbourne seat. Zhao reportedly informed the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (Asio) about the approach last year. He was found dead in a Melbourne hotel room in March, with police unable to determine the cause of death, prompting a coroner's inquiry.
In a separate case, a man claiming to be a Chinese spy named Wang 'William' Liqiang has applied for asylum in Australia. Wang has reportedly provided authorities with information about operations in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia, alleging he was 'personally involved' in espionage. Chinese officials have dismissed his claims, describing him as an unemployed fugitive convicted of fraud.
Asio director-general Mike Burgess confirmed the agency is actively investigating the allegations, stating, 'Hostile foreign intelligence activity continues to pose a real threat to our nation and its security.' PM Morrison urged caution, warning against 'leaping to conclusions' while investigations proceed.
China has denied the allegations, with foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang accusing media of fabricating 'so-called Chinese spies infiltrating Australia'. The controversy adds to ongoing debates about Chinese influence in Australian politics, with some politicians warning of infiltration and others cautioning against xenophobia that could harm trade ties with Australia's largest trading partner.
