China’s veiled threat to Bill Shorten on extradition treaty

Bill Shorten was issued a veiled warning from Beijing over support for an extradition treaty promoted by the Chinese.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in parliament yesterday.

Bill Shorten was issued a veiled warning from Beijing that Labor’s support in the Chinese community could be influenced if the ­party did not support an extradition treaty promoted by the communist government.

The indirect threats, made in meetings with the Opposition Leader, Richard Marles and Penny Wong, were seen by some within Labor as an example of the brazenness of Beijing’s attempts to use networks in Australia to influence policy decisions.

The revelation comes amid government calls for senator Sam Dastyari to resign over alleged assistance to a donor with links to Chinese government ­organis­ations, and ahead of the introduction of new laws to counter foreign interference. The treaty, signed in 2007 by the Howard government, has been a sore point between the two nations after the government was forced to cancel attempts to ratify it in March in the face of internal and Labor opposition.

The Coalition argues that the deal is important for transnat­ional co-operation on drug laws, while the Chinese are keen to ­secure ­alleged corruption suspects in Australia.

Sources have told The Australian the Labor leaders met China’s now former security tsar Meng Jianzhu about the treaty at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices on Sydney’s Bligh Street on April 22. A source with knowledge of the meeting said Mr Meng said it would be a shame if Chinese government representatives had to tell the Chinese community in Australia that Labor did not support the relationship between Australia and China.

Earlier, just before the ­Coalition pulled the treaty after an internal revolt in March, Labor leaders met ambassador Chen Jingye about support for the extradition agreement. Support for the party in the Australian Chinese community was mentioned during the meeting. The mention of the community was taken by those present as a veiled threat, a source said. “It spoke to the confidence of the Chinese government in terms of attempting to cultivate the diaspora,” the source said.

Labor opposed ratifying the treaty in its current form on human rights and legal grounds.

Mud throwing continued in federal parliament yesterday ahead of the introduction of the foreign interference laws by ­Attorney-General George Brandis, which is expected later in the week. While both sides have ­accepted foreign donations, Malcolm Turnbull said Senator Dastyari had gone a step further by allegedly tipping off Yuhu Group’s Huang Xiangmo about possible surveillance.

Government agencies are alarmed that foreign governments are attempting to use money and networks to exert control over community organisations, media outlets and politicians in order to influence policymaking. These attempts have had mixed success.

Jieh-Yung Lo, co-founder of Poliversity, which promotes cultural diversity in the Labor Party, said members of Australia’s Chinese community were frustrated by such actions. “The Chinese-Australian community itself is incredibly diverse,” he said. “The current and next generation of Chinese-Australian representatives ... want to be taken seriously for our ideas, and not as a fundraising tool.”

Mr Meng, former head of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Commission for Political and Legal Affairs, also visited the University of Technology Sydney. Labor and the Chinese embassy were approached for comment.

Both major parties have been courting the Australian Chinese community in Bennelong ahead of the December 16 by-election.

Liberal John Alexander was drawn into the controversy yesterday with reports that Mr Huang’s former adviser Tim Xu had handed out pamphlets for the Liberals in Bennelong. It is understood Mr Xu is no longer active in the Bennelong campaign.