Dan’s man opened the door to China
Daniel Andrews was introduced to Chinese Communist Party officials by a veteran Labor Party figure who later became involved in a Belt and Road lobby group, leaked emails have revealed.
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A veteran Labor figure who later became the honorary president of a Belt and Road lobby group helped Daniel Andrews in his initial diplomatic efforts with the Chinese Communist Party.
Leaked emails obtained by the Herald Sun shed new light on Mr Andrews’ efforts to build relationships with Chinese officials prior to becoming premier and signing Victoria on to the controversial Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.
The emails reveal how Dr Stanley Chiang — a Labor candidate at the 2014 state election — was involved in connecting Mr Andrews with China’s top advisory committee which oversees its United Front influence operation.
Mr Andrews travelled to China in December 2012, in a trip planned by his then-China adviser Mike Yang, who has been linked to United Front groups in Australia.
Dr Chiang was also involved in the trip, which included a visit to the Shenzhen headquarters of tech giant Huawei — which had been banned from Australia’s National Broadband Network — and to meet Communist Party officials in Shanghai.
In an email sent in January 2013, Dr Chiang said it had been a great trip and Mr Andrews had agreed to meet the group when they visited Melbourne later that month.
The “friendship delegation” which visited Victoria featured members and officials of the Shanghai branch of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, China’s most important United Front body.
But a State Government spokeswoman said last night that the return meeting in Melbourne did not go ahead.
Prior to the China trip, in October 2012, the emails show Dr Chiang helped organise a $68-a-head fundraising dinner for Mr Andrews at the Dragon Boat Palace restaurant to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and China.
In March 2012, Mr Andrews had met with China’s Consul-General Shi Weiqiang in Melbourne. According to a Chinese Government website, Mr Andrews said the “Labor Party of Victoria attaches great significance to co-operating and communicating with China and is willing to make relentless efforts to this end”.
After falling short as a candidate at the 2014 election, Dr Chiang was chosen to chair the government’s multicultural business ministerial council.
The Herald Sun revealed last week that he had been the honorary president of a Belt and Road chamber of commerce. He said he never attended their meetings and had since quit, and that he never lobbied the government about the trillion-dollar infrastructure plan.
“Dr Stanley Chiang is a hardworking GP who saves lives and is proud of his heritage,” the State Government spokeswoman said.
She said Mr Andrews’ 2012 China trip followed then-premier Ted Baillieu’s trade mission to China which included delegates from 400 businesses.
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