Chinese Leader Found Guilty of Violating Australian Anti-Foreign Interference Act
In a landmark ruling, an Australian court has found a Melbourne man guilty of planning foreign interference, marking the first such conviction under the country’s Anti-Foreign Interference Act introduced in 2018.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) stated that the former Liberal Party member, Di Sanh Duong, was accused of preparing or planning acts of foreign interference in 2020. The court found the charge to be established, and he was convicted on Tuesday afternoon.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), prosecutors alleged that Yang Yisheng, also known as Sunny Duong, had been in regular contact with Chinese intelligence services and attempted to influence a then-federal minister to further the Chinese Communist Party’s agenda. Yang Yisheng is believed to be the first person to be convicted of planning to carry out foreign interference, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Yang Yisheng, a Chinese-born Vietnamese national, holds important positions in various Chinese organizations in Victoria, including the chairman of the Vietnam-Cambodia Federation of Old Chinese Organizations. He was accused of violating the Anti-Foreign Interference Law in November 2020 and is believed to have ties to the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification, controlled by the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee.
The court heard that Yang Yisheng was involved in raising funds for the local Chinese community during the COVID-19 pandemic, but federal prosecutors claimed that he was in frequent contact with Chinese intelligence agents and was trying to exert undue influence on local figures.
Yang Yisheng has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to the charges, with the court set to make a sentencing decision at a later date.
The case against Yang Yisheng has shed light on concerns about foreign interference in Australia, particularly from China. The Anti-Foreign Interference Law was passed in 2018 to address such concerns, requiring political lobbyists to report whether they serve other countries and increasing penalties for espionage activities.
The trial of Yang Yisheng is expected to continue next week, as the case has drawn attention to the impact of foreign interference on national security.