Albany Cuts Ties With Chinese City Amid Concerns About CCP’s Soft Influence

An employee raises flags at the offices of the Albany City Council in Western Australia on Sept. 11, 2024. Susan Mortimer/The Epoch Times

Western Australia’s (WA) regional city of Albany has decided to cut ties with the northeastern Chinese city of Linyi after a majority council vote on Sept. 10.

Eight Albany councillors voted to end the relationship, while one voted against it.

While the move follows a review of Albany’s civic affiliations with five other cities, it signals a change in the region’s attitude.

Councillor Thomas Brough who moved the latest motion, initially moved one in July 2023, also aimed at ending Albany’s sister-city relationship in China’s Shandong Province. That vote was defeated 9-3.

The councillor was concerned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) would try to leverage the relationship to advance its influence in Australia and infiltrate the local government.

“This [the CCP] is a government that suppresses its own people, particularly ethnic and religious minorities, and threatens the democracy of Taiwan,” Brough told The Epoch Times.

“Our values–democracy, human rights, and rule of law–are non-negotiable. They’re the bedrock of our society and our relationships with the world.

“I stand firmly against communism and its oppressive ideologies. It has no place in our free and open Australian society.”

According to Albany Council’s policy guidelines, one criterion for a sister city relationship, is that potential partners must share similar core values and principles regarding democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

At the same time, Brough said Albany’s decision did not mean the end of trade or dialogue.

“It’s about clarity in our relationships,” he said.

“We can trade with China, but we won’t trade away our principles. This decision reflects that balance–open for business, but closed to compromise on our fundamental values.”

The Epoch Times has reached out to the Western Australian Labor government and the federal Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade but has yet to receive a reply in time for publication.

The Sister-City Relationship

Albany entered into a Friendly Cooperative Relationship agreement with Linyi after the latter sent a delegation in May 2014 of business and government representatives.

At the time, the CCP delegation wanted to explore the possibility of developing export markets for wine and primary produce from Albany to China.

Two months later, the two cities officially signed the agreement.

However, the agreement did not appear to result in any concrete actions.

According to a civic affiliation assessment document obtained by The Epoch Times, there has been no meaningful engagement since the Albany delegation visited Linyi in 2014.

In addition, the document said the trade sanctions imposed by the CCP on Australian export commodities in 2020 affected local primary producers, wineries and the timber industry.

As such, it recommended that Albany conclude its relationship with Linyi.

Minister Says Australia Missing Opportunities

Albany’s decision comes as the federal government urged Australian businesses to focus less on the Chinese market.

During her speech to the Asia Summit in early September, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong raised concerns that businesses were missing out opportunities in Southeast Asia.

The minister said Australian businesses were too focused on China and North Asia while other countries had capitalised on the southern region after recognising its “explosive” growth.

Wong cited the example of China and the United States, which had doubled their investments in Southeast Asia in recent years.

“It’s a pretty confronting picture for a great trading nation like ours that has benefited so much from globalisation,” she said.

“We have a good foundation with the region, but our investment doesn’t keep pace. We are being left behind.”

Cindy Li and Naziya Alvi Rahman contributed to this article.