An Australia court on Tuesday found a Melbourne man who held prominent positions in Chinese community associations guilty of planning an act of foreign interference, the first verdict of its kind under a law introduced in 2018.

  • @[email protected]English
    1•11 months ago

    They are vague on what the act was. From their description it sounds just like political lobbying

    • QuokkaEnglish
      7•11 months ago

      Ah yes I too regularly politically lobby after meeting with my local CIA agent.

      Local media reported prosecutors had told the court that Duong had been in regular contact with Chinese intelligence and had sought to influence a federal government minister to further the aims of the Chinese Communist Party.

      The guy is recorded as having said said:

      When I do things it never gets reported in the newspaper but Beijing will know what I’m doing.

      What a normal, regular ol’ person he is. Nothing to see here folks.

    • @[email protected]English
      2•11 months ago

      The article specifies that the law only applies to secret actions. The only difference between lobbying and bribery is secrecy - lobbying has to be publicly admitted to. But I doubt it’s bribery, or he’d just be charged with that.