New Delhi: Weeks after a Chinese-government-linked group in Australia was brought under the scanner over transparency, the country’s opposition has questioned the long delay in action against the group.
The Australian Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China (ACPPRC), accused of attempting to influence a 2017 by-election in the country, is now required to register under Australia’s Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme (FITS) Act. The Act seeks to provide the public with visibility of the nature, level and extent of foreign influence on Australia’s government and politics.
On 6 February, Australia’s Attorney General Department had issued a final “transparency notice” to the ACPPRC.
However, opposition members have raised questions as to why it took five years for the ACPPRC to be issued a transparency notice given the Act came into force in 2018.
“This is a group that everyone has known about. It was the notorious group that donor Huang Xiangmo was involved in… Anybody in the street could have told you five years ago that they were a problem,” Senator James Patterson from the opposition Liberal Party told Sky News Tuesday.
Controversial Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo, based in Sydney for many years, served as chairman of ACPPRC in 2014-2017.
In 2019, the erstwhile Scott Morrison-led government rejected his citizenship application and cancelled his permanent residency, on advice from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) — the country’s security service — over alleged political interference. Huang, who denied the allegations, now serves on Hong Kong’s electoral body.
After the latest development, if the ACPPRC fails to list itself under the foreign influence register, it will amount to a criminal offence under Australian law. Providing false or misleading information or destroying records to avoid registration obligations will amount to a criminal offence.
If it does comply, it will have to fulfil obligations such as officially registering certain activities like parliamentary lobbying, general political lobbying, communications activities and financial disbursement activity.
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What is ACPPRC?
Founded in 2000, the ACPPRC functions under the larger umbrella organisation of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification — a body founded in 1988 by the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department.
The ACPPRC website says it aims to facilitate “peaceful dialogue” for the “peaceful reunification of China”, encourage economic and cultural exchanges between Australia and China, and promote international peace and security.
The organisation is reported to have a total of 81 subordinate groups across Australia under its purview. It also claims to hold various forums and events through “cross-border cooperation”.
In December 2017, the group was accused of attempting to influence a by-election in Bennelong, an electoral division in the Australian state of New South Wales. Members of the group were accused of trying to paint the Liberal Party, run by then PM Malcolm Turnbull, as anti-Chinese.
(Edited by Anumeha Saxena)
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