The Australian government is pushing back against Beijing’s overseas propaganda operations.
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has warned that foreign journalists in Australia will face scrutiny from federal agencies if they provide a “slanted view to a particular community.”
“If people are masquerading as journalists or business leaders or whoever they might be, and there’s evidence that they are acting in a contrary nature to Australian law, then ASIO and the Australian Federal Police and other agencies will act,” he added.
Tao Shelan, one of the Chinese nationals implicated in the raids, is the Australian bureau chief of China News Service—Beijing’s second-largest state-run media outlet following Xinhua.
The ruling by the U.S. State Department ultimately removes any notion that China News Service is an independent entity.
The service is controlled by the United Front Work Department (UFWD), the Chinese communist regime’s leading overseas infiltration organ. The UFWD gained notoriety with its connection to the downfall of former Labor Senator Sam Dastyari.
China News Service acts as the media arm of the UFWD and plays an integral role in building partnerships with overseas media outlets to offer free content, which includes pre-approved material from Beijing.
Leaders from China News Service and UFWD also headlined the biennial Global Chinese Language Media Forum. The Epoch Times revealed that the conference is a major event, attended by CCP heavyweights looking to mix and mingle with hundreds of media proprietors and senior managers from around the world.
Tao has attended the forums twice. In 2019, she was part of a 37-strong delegation from Australia.
Community members with poor English-language skills were considered highly vulnerable.