Malcolm Turnbull says Australia will ‘stand up’ to China as ASIO reveals new findings

MALCOLM Turnbull won’t be intimidated by Beijing’s “strong dissatisfaction” over his remarks, as ASIO identified 10 political candidates believed to have close Chinese intelligence ties.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will stand up to China. Picture Kym Smith

PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull has doubled down on his criticism of Beijing interfering in domestic politics, while insisting the communist leadership will respect his tough talk.

Mr Turnbull on Saturday said he wasn’t intimidated by Beijing expressing “strong dissatisfaction” over his remarks earlier this week about foreign interference.

He spoke Mandarin when noting China was founded in 1949 with the words “the Chinese people have stood up”.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (left) with Liberal candidate for Bennelong John Alexander during a visit to the Hanho Korean Daily Newspaper in Eastwood. Picture: AAP

“It was an assertion of sovereignty, it was an assertion of pride,” the prime minister told reporters in Sydney on Saturday.

“And so we say ‘the Australian people stand up’.” Mr Turnbull this week in parliament cited “disturbing reports about Chinese influence”, but he was blunter on Saturday.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has put forward measures aimed at preventing foreign influence in Australia’s political affairs. Picture: Kym Smith

“There has been foreign interference in Australian politics, plainly,” he said. “(Labor senator) Sam Dastyari is a very clear case of somebody who has literally taken money from people closely associated with the Chinese government and, in return for that, has delivered essentially Chinese policy statements.” The prime minister claimed Beijing would hold Labor in “complete contempt” over the senator’s behaviour because Chinese people stood up for their sovereignty and expected Australians to do the same.

“That is why we respect each other,” Mr Turnbull said.

“That is why they respect me and my government.”

Senator Sam Dastyari in the Senate Chamber, at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture Kym Smith

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang on Friday said he was “shocked” by what Mr Turnbull had said in parliament.

“We express strong dissatisfaction at this and have already lodged solemn representations with the Australian side,” Mr Geng told a daily news briefing in Beijing.

But the PM wasn’t taking a backward step on Saturday.

“Foreign governments are entitled to make their point of view known,” he said. “But covert lobbying, particularly of the kind we’ve seen recently, that is not acceptable and we’re updating our laws to deal with it.”

The Weekend Australianreports one of the candidates mentioned gained office and remains there today.

The relationship between that person and Chinese agencies began before he won a seat, according to the report. The candidate has not been named in the report.

Most of the candidates believed to have close links with Chinese intelligence and the Communist Party were involved in council elections, but ASIO holds concerns about people at both state and federal levels.

The worries held by ASIO are focused around Western Sydney and the reach of the operation has been described as “patchy but deep.”

A Chinese diplomat who defected to Australia, Chen Yonglin, told The Weekend Australian there were overt attempts made by the Chinese government to influence opinions.

“In Australia, it seems there’s no limitation at all, the Chinese do it publicly,” he said.

“It seems they are above the law in Australia. They are braver than their activity in the US.”

Read more in The Weekend Australian.

Originally published as Malcolm Turnbull says Australia will ‘stand up’ to China as ASIO reveals new findings