Mystery behind fake cop cars after another man is allegedly caught impersonating Chinese police
The phenomenon has sparked fears of foreign interference and an attempt by the Chinese government to exert influence over members of the Chinese Australian community.
But it remains unclear if the owners of the vehicles are part of a co-ordinated effort, or simply overeager supporters of Chinese authorities.
'No one can link it to the actual (Chinese) state, but it's certainly an act that intimidates the Chinese diaspora in Australia,' Drew Pavlou, a prominent critic of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), told news.com.au.
'It intimidates Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, Taiwanese - people who have moved to Australia to escape the Chinese regime.
'It's not fair to Australians as well, because it makes a mockery of our police and our legal system.'
Shadow minister for home affairs Andrew Hastie said: 'Impersonating a police officer is a serious offence in and of itself, but it would be even more concerning if this tactic was being used as a tool of transnational repression to intimidate the Chinese diaspora in Australia.'
'ASIO has warned us that espionage and foreign interference are already at extreme levels, and it is no secret that the Chinese Government is the primary perpetrator,' Mr Hastie told news.com.au.
'There is no room for complacency in addressing these threats.'
A car bearing fake Chinese police decals appeared in Melbourne in 2023, and two others were spotted in Adelaide and Perth amid pro-Hong Kong democracy protests in 2019.
In response to the 2023 Melbourne incident, Benjamin Herscovitch, an expert on Australia-China relations, said the decals on the cars were so obvious that they were highly unlikely to be state-sanctioned.
The cars would prove a 'huge liability' for Beijing, Mr Herscovitch told SBS News.
'From the point of view of the Chinese government, the benefits that you would get from having a car like this driving around the streets of Melbourne, are not big enough to justify the diplomatic kerfuffle and drama for the Chinese government that would result if something like this was traced back to the Chinese government.'
Do you know more? Email harrison.christian@news.com.au
Suburban Sydney charges
In the latest incident, police arrested 21-year-old Kunlang Li at Strathfield, in Sydney's inner west, on Friday after he was caught allegedly driving a car bearing Chinese police insignia.
Photos of the black Mercedes S-Class appeared to show the Mandarin characters for 'police' emblazoned on the bonnet, while the English translation was misspelt as 'poilce'.
NSW Police also allegedly discovered firearms and ammunition in the car, and it was claimed Li produced a fake document claiming the car's purpose was to transport Chinese consulate officials.
Li, who holds an active firearms licence, allegedly told police he believed the boot of the car was 'the best place to store his ammunition'. Officers seized the bullets along with other items suspected of being used to impersonate police.
They later searched Li's Baulkham Hills home and also seized two gel blaster firearms.
There is no suggestion that Li has any involvement with or connection to the Chinese state or Communist Party.
Li was charged with multiple offences, including use display emergency services organisation insignia and drive motor vehicle with unlawful police insignia. He appeared in Burwood Local Court on Tuesday and did not enter a plea. He will remain on bail until his next court appearance on August 11.
In 2022, a report by NGO Safeguard Defenders found that two secret Chinese 'police service stations' had been set up in Australia, including one in Sydney.
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