Hobart City Council candidate Yongbei Tang says she is the victim of Chinese influence fears

HOBART City Council candidate Yongbei Tang says she has fallen victim to Tasmania’s growing fear of Chinese influence after repeated criticism of her alleged links with that country’s government.

Yongbei Tang is running for a seat on Hobart City Council. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE.

HOBART City Council candidate Yongbei Tang says she has fallen victim to Tasmania’s growing fear of Chinese influence, following repeated criticism of her alleged links with that country’s government.

Ms Tang yesterday strongly denied she had any connections to the Chinese Communist Party after the Mercury published a letter from a group of Hobart-based Chinese-Australians who said she did not represent the majority of the capital’s Chinese population.

That letter, signed by 10 people who wished to remain anonymous, accused Ms Tang of hiding her connections with the Chinese government and pointed out similar concerns had not been raised when Chinese-heritage people had run in previous local government elections.

Ms Tang said that was because 2014 was a “more peaceful and harmonious time”.

“Compared with the last election, there are many more international students from China and tourists from China than before and investment from the Australian-Chinese,” she said.

“Probably people fear the Communist Party and links with the Communist Party.

“I’m not a member of the Chinese Communist Party.

“I’m not a member of the Chinese government.

“I’m not hiding titles of government-linked organisations.”

Ms Tang, a journalist, has attracted criticism for her work with the Chinese consulate in Melbourne, her membership of a body that asks members to print only positive news about the Chinese government, and her role with the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Council for the Promotion of the Peaceful Reunification of China.

Academics have said the latter group pushes Chinese Communist Party messages in Australia.

Ms Tang said she was a volunteer for the Chinese consulate, and was only asked to act in emergencies, such as when Chinese citizens were involved in car crashes in Tasmania.

She had resigned from her position with the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Council for the Promotion of the Peaceful Reunification of China, she said, and expressed confusion that she was still listed as its treasurer in an October extract of its registration.

And she had never been alerted to her membership of the Chinese media group, she said.

The Australian citizen and Tasmanian resident of 20 years has repeatedly expressed her love for Australia, and said her candidacy for Hobart City Council was about giving back.

“I think the council needs a new face — there’s not many migrants on the council,” Ms Tang said.

“I love Australian values. I wrote a lot about this.”