Melbourne, December 20 – The Melbourne court in Australia has rendered a groundbreaking verdict under the country’s foreign influence laws, resulting in the conviction of an Australian businessman for covertly working for the Chinese communist party. Di Sanh Duong, a prominent figure in the Chinese community in Melbourne, was found guilty of preparing for or planning an act of foreign interference. The offense carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. This landmark conviction marks the first under the laws implemented by Australia in 2018 to counter foreign influence in domestic politics.
The legislation was introduced following a series of scandals surrounding Beijing’s alleged attempts to influence Australian politics, which exacerbated tensions with China, Australia’s largest trading partner. The accused, Di Sanh Duong, was charged by the Victoria State Police in 2020. The County Court of Victoria ruled on Tuesday that Duong had attempted to clandestinely influence former federal government minister Alan Tudge by making a substantial donation to the Royal Melbourne Hospital three years ago.
Photographs from a hospital event on June 2, 2020, revealed that Duong presented Tudge with a novelty check amounting to 37,450 Australian dollars ($25,000). The funds had been raised by the Oceania Federation of Chinese Organizations from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, a Chinese diaspora group led by Duong. Federal prosecutors asserted that Duong had utilized the donation to curry favor with Tudge, though the former government minister was not implicated in any wrongdoing.
During the trial, the prosecution relied on an intercepted phone conversation between Duong and an associate in April 2020. In the recording, Duong discussed the value of his relationship with Tudge, whom he perceived as a potential future prime minister of Australia. Prosecutor Patrick Doyle argued that Duong, a former member of the Victorian state branch of Australia’s Liberal Party, would be an ideal target for China’s United Front Work Department.
The United Front Work Department, a vast organization administered by the Chinese Communist Party, focuses on cultivating relationships with elites outside the party, including the Chinese diaspora. It has long been accused by researchers and Western countries, including the United States, of plotting global foreign influence operations on behalf of the Chinese government.
The prosecutors also contended that Duong had been in contact with Chinese state security officials. In another wiretapped phone call played in court, Duong can be heard informing an associate, When I do things, it never gets reported in the newspaper, but Beijing will know what I’m doing.
Di Sanh Duong will face sentencing next year. In response to the verdict, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) released a statement on Tuesday, expressing appreciation for the collaborative efforts of its partners in the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce during the intricate investigation. The AFP emphasized that foreign interference remains a significant national security concern.
Opposition Home Affairs spokesperson James Paterson expressed his support for the court’s decision, welcoming the guilty verdict in Australia’s first ever foreign interference case. Paterson emphasized the importance of successful prosecutions as a deterrent against further attempts to interfere in Australia’s democracy. He urged the AFP and prosecutors to continue vigorously enforcing the law.
This unprecedented conviction highlights Australia’s commitment to safeguarding its domestic politics from foreign influence and reinforces the ongoing tensions with China. As the case progresses, it will undoubtedly have significant implications for future cases involving allegations of foreign interference, further shaping Australia’s response to maintaining the integrity of its political processes.
