Self-proclaimed spy Wang Liqiang is ‘merely a fraudster’, China says

Video emerges allegedly showing Chinese ‘spy’ Wang Liqiang facing fraud charges, as government-owned news media accuses him of ‘making up stories’.

Wang Liqiang appears in a 60 Minutes story to claim he’s been involved in espionage activities for China. Picture: Screengrab/60 Minutes Australia

A video posted on YouTube purports to show self-proclaimed Chinese spy Wang Liqiang facing court in 2016 on fraud charges.

The Chinese Embassy in Canberra alerted media to the video, which was posted online

on Wednesday, and appears to show Mr Wang in a Chinese courtroom.

Chinese government-owned news organisation The Global Times has also posted a story on the video, which relates to an alleged court case over a demand for 120,000 yuan ($17,000).

A court judgment was also released online following Mr Wang’s public claims for asylum, through Nine newspapers and 60 Minutes.

Mr Wang, 26, claims that he was involved in a Chinese spy ring that used front companies and influence campaigns to infiltrate Hong Kong’s independence movement and interfere in Taiwan’s elections.

According to the court transcript, issued in the name of the Guangze County People’s Procuratorate prosecutor’s office, Mr Wang “truthfully confessed his crime” in the court on October 14, 2016.

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It said the court heard Mr Wang was arranging the schooling of his son and daughter when he “deceived” the victim, referred to as “Gao”, after obtaining his trust through his girlfriend.

The document says Mr Wang was guilty of fraud and sentenced to one year and three months in prison, a suspended sentence of one year and six months, and a fine of 10,000 yuan.

According to The Global Times: “Wang, now at large, maintained his fraudulent activities in foreign countries, making up a series of fake stories that throw shade at China backed by Western media speculation, observers said.

“All the evidence points toward the fact that Wang is merely a fraudster spouting nonsense and mixing up black and white, observers said.”

According to Nine, Mr Wang provided a sworn statement to ASIO in October stating: “I have personally been involved and participated in a series of espionage activities”.

He claimed he was part of an intelligence operation run by a Hong Kong-listed company, China Innovation Investment Limited, which infiltrated Hong Kong universities and media with pro-Chinese Communist Party operatives.

He claimed he was also issued with a fake South Korean passport to enter Taiwan to help infiltrate its political system and meddle in its elections.

ASIO has said it takes the allegations “seriously”, and has been “actively investigating them”.

Scott Morrison has said Mr Wang could be allowed to stay in Australia even if authorities are unable to verify his story.