Latest news with #HubeiAssociation
ABC News
01-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Community group denies links to Beijing after roping in volunteers for election candidates
The head of a Chinese community group at the centre of a controversy surrounding Housing Minister Clare O'Neil and independent MP Monique Ryan has furiously denied that he is trying to help China's government influence the federal election, accusing the media of "slandering" him and intimidating Chinese Australians. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has confirmed that it has asked the Electoral Integrity Assurance Taskforce to investigate allegations about the actions of the Hubei Association, which had been working to help organise volunteers for the election campaigns of both Minister O'Neil and Dr Ryan. Stay updated: Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on Earlier this week, The Age reported that the Hubei Association, a group purportedly linked to the Chinese government's United Front Work Department, organised volunteers for Dr Ryan, with video footage appearing to show those volunteers saying they had been instructed by the organisation to vote for her. A day later, The Australian revealed the same association was also organising a group of 10 volunteers to help staff polling booths in Claire O'Neil's electorate — although the minister said she declined the offer of help. Claire O'Neil says she knocked back an offer of volunteers from the Hubei Association. ( AAP Image: Mick Tsikas ) The reports raised concerns as the Hubei Association has previously been linked to the Chinese government's sprawling United Front Work Department, which is tasked with advocating for Beijing's interests overseas. But the head of the Hubei Association, Ji Jianmin, in an extensive interview with the ABC, denied any links to Beijing and said neither he nor the organisation had any connection with the Chinese government. "Not a penny of funds (comes) from an overseas power. All the money (is) coming from people living in Australia but originally from Hubei. You can check," he said. "Australia is my home. I'm absolutely loyal to Australia." Ji Jianmin denies any links or associations with the Chinese government. ( ABC News: Darryl Torpy ) Mr Ji rejected all the allegations and told the ABC that he'd had "nearly zero" contact with the Chinese Embassy, other than attending two cultural events over the past seven years. "Personally, I don't care about politics … we just want to live a good life in Australia," he said. "Ninety-nine per cent of my time in the past 29 years, I was in Australia." Mr Ji said that he had nothing to hide and he'd cooperate with any inquiry. "I'll be open to investigations and interviews. I'm open in sharing facts and truths to all friends," he said. He said he only shared his view about Ms Ryan's effort to serve the Chinese community but did not pressure anyone to vote for her. He also said he supported Dr Ryan because she had organised lectures for elderly Chinese people in Melbourne to help them understand how superannuation and policing works in Australia. Mr Ji also told the ABC he never instructed the two volunteers shown in the video supporting Ms Ryan. Steven Mao (left) and Jessica Yuan (right) were shown on a video helping Monique Ryan's campaign. ( ABC News: Darryl Torpy ) The two volunteers, Jessica Yuan and Steven Mao, told the ABC they were neither members of Mr Ji's association nor originally from Hubei province. They said they supported Ms Ryan because of her good reputation in the Chinese community. "We've seen [what she did] and are willing to help her in re-election. People are all doing it voluntarily. No one was forced," Mr Ji told the ABC. On Wednesday, Ms O'Neil firmly denied that her office requested volunteers from Hubei Association. She said the offer had come through an intermediary that her office had "politely declined". That intermediary — ALP member and prominent Chinese Australian community member Chap Chow — also spoke with the ABC. Originally from Malaysia, Mr Chow has repeatedly organised volunteers for political campaigns. He described Ms O'Neil as a "friend" who he wanted to support. He also said that he had previously helped recruit a few dozen campaign volunteers for her from an association of elderly Chinese Australians earlier this year. Chap Chow said he wanted to to help Clare O'Neil. ( ABC News: Darryl Torpy ) Mr Chow partly contradicted Ms O'Neil's statement that her office made the decision to turn down the Hubei Association's offer of assistance on Tuesday. He said of the minister's staffers approached him earlier this month and requested another 10 volunteers to help maintain stalls on election day — although at this point there was no discussion of the Hubei Association. Mr Chow told the ABC he then reached out to Mr Ji for help because he was an old friend. "I asked him if there could be others to volunteer, at a coffee catch up with him and others, about three weeks ago," Mr Chow said. "He said, because we are friends … and I told him that we need to hurry up." Photo shows green how to vote cards in the background with a text box that says enter your suburb The full set of major party players' how-to-vote guides for the House of Representatives reveals some surprising alliances. Mr Chow also said he was the one who made the decision to withdraw the offer of volunteers after reading the report in The Age. He said he rang the minister's staffer, and they agreed the 10 volunteers shouldn't take part in her campaign. "It was completely my decision. Because I know Australian politics very well, I took the initiative to call them," Mr Chow said. "I think it shows the influence of the McCarthyism from the Cold War era. I've known Mr Ji for quite a long time, and I don't believe he has done anything inappropriate." The ABC has approached Ms O'Neil's office for comment. The 2025 election explained: A spokesperson for Dr Ryan told the Age earlier this week that she'd never met Mr Ji privately and that he'd "never lobbied her on any policy matters." "Any contact between Monique and Mr Ji has been incidental and limited to public events attended by large numbers of people," they said. Hubei Association is one of several dozen Chinese "hometown associations" in Australia that serve as networking hubs for people from various Chinese cities or provinces. Researchers Alex Joske and Clive Hamilton listed it as a "United Front-linked business group" in a 2018 submission to a parliamentary inquiry. But the submission also says that while "not all" the hometown organisations were part of the United Front, "the larger ones are certainly of interest to the Embassy and consulates". "These have been a primary target for (United Front) work both for their access into the diaspora and as a venue to win hearts and minds to the party's standpoint," they said. Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 One Australian government official told the ABC the status of groups like the Hubei Association was "difficult to pin down" because of the amorphous nature of the United Front and the way it operated. The Coalition has said Ms O'Neil should have moved quickly to refer the matter to electoral authorities. Photo shows Composite images of three people - two women and a man - smiling at the camera. After five weeks, and tens of thousands of contributions, voters are still appealing for bolder ambition from their political leaders. Coalition campaign spokesman James Paterson declined to say whether he believed Chinese government linked groups were actively trying to influence the campaign. "What I can say more broadly and without getting into these specific examples (is) if you were a foreign authoritarian government and you wanted to weaken or destabilise Australia, you would probably prefer that there be a hung parliament, that no party have a majority," he told Sky News. This morning he said that Ms O'Neil had "not been completely up-front and honest about their relationship with these individuals and with these groups." But Mr Ji said the Hubei Association was "not subject to the control and direction of any entity" and insisted he hadn't tried to influence the election or Australian politicians in any way. "What is the evidence and facts that can show my connection with (the United Front) of China?" he said. "In a democratic Australia, this kind of fact-less slander makes all of us Chinese in Australia feel terrified."
Sky News AU
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
James Paterson calls on Housing Minister and Labor to ‘come clean' about CCP links amid volunteer recruitment controvery
Shadow home affairs Minister James Paterson has called on the Housing Minister and the Labor Party to 'come clean' about their associations with organisations linked to the Chinese Communist Party amid an ongoing controversy over the recruiting of volunteers. It was reported by The Australian this week that ten individuals associated with a group linked to Beijing's influence operations agency were being recruited to staff Housing Minister Clare O'Neil's election day polling booths. Ms O'Neil has rejected claims she requested support from the Hubei Association, which has previously been accused of working with the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Department. "I didn't make any requests for assistance from this organisation. The support was offered to my team, my team declined that support, and that was the end of the matter,' she said on Wednesday morning. Senator Paterson told Sky News on Thursday morning he was 'extremely concerned' about possible links between candidates and the CCP. 'Our intelligence agencies have been telling us for years that foreign interference and espionage is higher than it has ever been in our history, higher than even at the height of the Cold War,' Mr Paterson said. The shadow home affairs minister said he was particularly concerned about allegations of people, associated with 'linked entities' of the CCP, being involved in several election campaigns, including for Minister O'Neil in her electorate of Hotham. 'It appears from the reporting in The Australian today that Clare O'Neil and the Labor Party have not been completely up front and honest about their relationship with these individuals and with these groups,' Mr Paterson told Sky News Host Peter Stefanovic. 'I think they really need to come clean today about how long they've been associating with these organisations, how long they've been seeking their support and how long they've been using their volunteers.' The Australian reported that Labor Party member Chap Chow, a self-described political organiser and 'friend' of Ms O'Neil, arranged with the Hubei Association to recruit volunteers to staff her polling booths on election day. It was revealed Mr Chap contacted Mr Ji on Tuesday to cancel a group of volunteers after news broke of their involvement in the cabinet minister's campaign. Meanwhile, concerns have emerged over whether campaign volunteers for Teal MP Monique Ryan were directed to support her by the Hubei Association. A volunteer from the Hubei Association said in a video posted online that the group's president, Ji Jianmin, had directed Chinese diaspora to support Ms Ryan. Ms Ryan admitted to having several meetings with Mr Ji but said she had not asked for support from him directly. Australia's Electoral Taskforce is set to investigate allegations of foreign interference by the Hubei Association, and Mr Paterson told Sky News on Wednesday it was good thing the task force was taking up the issue. 'It was bad enough already when we had Monique Ryan's campaign embroiled in this. It is even more serious that we now have a Labor campaign and also… a Greens campaign involved as well,' Mr Paterson told Sky News host Chris Kenny. 'It's especially surprising that Clare O'Neil has found herself caught up in this, because, as the former Minister for Home Affairs, no one in the Federal Parliament should better understand the risks of foreign interference than her.'
Sky News AU
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Alleged foreign interference by group linked to the Chinese Communist Party designed to produce hung parliament, Coalition claims
The Chinese Communist Party's alleged foreign interference in the federal election is designed to produce a hung parliament, a senior Coalition MP has claimed. Australia's Electoral Integrity Assurance Taskforce is set to investigate allegations of foreign interference by a group that has been linked to the CCP's United Front Work Department. Australia's election watchdog has confirmed it will refer allegations of foreign interference by the Hubei Association after it was revealed the group had planned to send out dozens of volunteers to campaign for Labor's Clare O'Neil and the Greens candidate for Menzies. This followed an earlier referral involving Teal MP Monique Ryan, after footage emerged on social media showing two Chinese Australian volunteers wearing Monique Ryan campaign T-shirts. When asked why they were supporting Ms Ryan, the female volunteer said the president of the Hubei Association, Ji Jianmin "required us Chinese diaspora to support her". Speaking to Sky News Australia on Wednesday, shadow home affairs minister James Paterson said it was a good thing the taskforce – which includes ASIO, the AFP and the AEC – was taking up the issue, adding that the latest allegations were 'especially troubling'. 'It was bad enough already when we had Monique Ryan's campaign embroiled in this. It is even more serious that we now have a Labor campaign and also… a Greens campaign involved as well,' Senator Paterson told Sky News host Chris Kenny. 'It's especially surprising that Clare O'Neil has found herself caught up in this, because, as the former Minister for Home Affairs, no one in the Federal Parliament should better understand the risks of foreign interference than her.' 'But I have to say, I'm quite disappointed that when asked on breakfast TV this morning, Claire O'Neill was not able to say that she would refer it herself for investigation to that task force.' Senator Paterson said he was not aware of any Hubei Association involvement in a Liberal Party campaign, but he cautioned against concluding that this meant the CCP wanted Anthony Albanese to be re-elected. The shadow home affairs minister - who was previously chair of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Security – suggested the goal may instead be to produce a hung parliament. 'What I can say… without getting into these specific examples, is if you were a foreign authoritarian government and you wanted to weaken or destabilise Australia, you would probably prefer that there be a hung parliament - that no party have a majority,' Senator Paterson said. 'In fact, there was leaked intelligence out of Canada, before… (the 2021) election, that one of the objectives of the Chinese Communist Party in Canada was to have a weak government, and they thought that would be best achieved by a parliament without any majority government. 'So I certainly think, in an uncertain and dangerous world, a strong majority government is much preferable to a hung parliament. 'And obviously, I would say I particularly wouldn't want to see an Albanese government re-elected in minority with the Teals and the Greens, because they do have dangerous views when it comes to national security and defence - they've attacked AUKUS, as just one example.' Defence expert Michael Shoebridge said the allegations of foreign interference from the Chinese Communist Party were 'very credible'. 'We know that the Chinese Communist Party sees foreign interference, interference in other countries and democratic countries, as important,' Mr Shoebridge said. 'Xi Jinping has built his United Front Work Department as a magic weapon to do that, and he's got form. That's why we've got these new foreign interference laws.' But the Director of Strategic Analysis Australia disagreed with Senator Paterson about the implications of the allegations, claiming it was hard to see any reason the CCP-linked groups had considered backing a Labor candidate other than they wanted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to win the election. 'The candidates they're not giving this support and help to look like candidates they don't want to win,' he said. 'It's hard to see another reason that these potentially Beijing-linked groups want to support particular candidates to get the vote out – and are allegedly directed to vote for particular candidates.' Asked about the allegations on Tuesday, Ms Ryan admitted to having several meetings with the Hubei Association President but denied she had ever asked for his support directly. "I've contacted the AEC and the Department of Parliamentary Services and given them the details about my relationship with those volunteers and with Mr Ji," she said on Tuesday. Ms O'Neil also rejected claims she had asked for support from the group. 'I didn't make any requests for assistance from this organisation. The support was offered to my team, my team declined that support, and that was the end of the matter,' she said on Wednesday morning. This is despite the Hubei President telling The Australian, through an interpreter, that the initial request for 10 volunteers had come from Ms O'Neil's office. Mr Ji also told The Australian his organisation had received a similar request for 10 volunteers from The Greens.
Sky News AU
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘What are they playing at?': Hubei members told to volunteer for Monique Ryan's campaign
Sky News host Chris Kenny sparks concern after volunteers linked to the Hubei Association were told to volunteer for Teal MP Monique Ryan. 'Chinese-speaking volunteers were told to volunteer for Ryan by the leader of the Hubei association,' Mr Kenny said. 'What are they playing at? 'Supporting Teals and trying to support Labor members – it tells us, doesn't it, that Beijing wants Anthony Albanese to win the election.'
The Age
30-04-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Taskforce to investigate polling recruits for Clare O'Neil and Monique Ryan
The election integrity watchdog is investigating claims the office of Housing Minister Clare O'Neil requested campaign volunteers linked to a Chinese-Australian association with historical ties to the Chinese Communist Party, claims the Labor frontbencher rejects. The Hubei Association entered the spotlight after this masthead published a video showing two people campaigning for teal MP Monique Ryan, who said they were directed to vote for her by Ji Jianmin, president of the group. The Australian reported on Wednesday that 10 people linked to the Hubei Association were recruited by a grassroots Labor member known to O'Neil to help campaign for the minister in her Melbourne seat of Hotham. O'Neil firmly denied the claims on Wednesday, saying the volunteers were offered by the group but declined by her office. 'I can be really clear with you there ... my staff and my office did not make any request for assistance from this organisation. The organisation offered assistance to the office, and my team did exactly the right thing, which is politely decline that offer of support,' O'Neil said on Channel Seven's Sunrise program. The association led by Ji has previously been accused of working with China's United Front global influence operation. Coalition campaign spokesman James Patterson called for an official probe of the volunteers after this masthead reported the Kooyong video, saying 'if confirmed, this would constitute an act of foreign interference in our democracy'. The Australian Electoral Commission's integrity taskforce, made up of federal police and intelligence agencies, is looking into both Kooyong and Hotham. Loading
