CANBERRA, Australia—A Chinese defector has urged his former colleagues to begin preparing an exit strategy for when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) falls.
Known by the pseudonym “Eric,” the former Beijing spy said some Chinese operatives may be interested in defecting after becoming disenchanted with Beijing.
But they could be concerned about any legal ramifications.
“If they have been undercover for a while, they might have already violated some Australian laws,” Eric told The Epoch Times on June 4.
“Australian law might not have special measures to protect them, such as exemptions, so they are quite apprehensive. That’s why we haven’t seen any of these people proactively defecting.”
For others, he noted, it was the deep personal relationships with their handlers that kept them from leaving.
But “smart” agents would understand the full meaning behind his message, he said.
“What I want to say is that a smart agent should always prepare an exit strategy for themselves, right? That’s what a truly smart spy should do,” he said.
What Kind of Spies Operate in Australia
He previously told the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times that he believes there are about 200 intelligence agents currently operating in Australia.These include about potentially 30 spies from the provincial level. In addition, there may be 50 to 60 people from the Ministry of Public Security and about the same number from the Ministry of State Security.
“I’m not familiar with the military [operatives in Australia], but I assume their numbers are not much different,” Eric said.
He also estimates that there are about 1,000 community informants who work under the cover of various CCP institutions, such as the United Front.
“These people only have secretive working relationships with the CCP, many of which are indirect. They don’t even count as strict informants, and some of them aren’t even paid,” Eric said.
The former spy was based in South East Asia, taking orders from the secret police for 15 years before defecting to Australia in 2023.
He worked for the Political Security Protection Bureau, also known as the First Bureau, under the Ministry of Public Security.
Many Still Do Not Understand the Real Nature of the CCP: Eric
Eric said the West and Chinese community members have yet to truly comprehend the fundamental nature of the CCP.“The CCP is essentially a fascist organisation, similar to the German Nazi Party, and both are totalitarian and fascist,” he said.
This lack of understanding is one reason why the Chinese diaspora are particularly susceptible to being infiltrated by the CCP.
Eric believes the Australian government should be more vigilant on how the CCP utilises and manipulates the community.
“It is well-known that Chinese people have a strong attachment to their homeland, which can sometimes translate into a sense of patriotism or nationalism,” he said.
“This can occasionally get intertwined with support for the CCP, as the party often portrays itself as the sole legitimate representative of China. Many people might naturally support the CCP because of this conflation.”
To address this, Eric believes there needs to be a greater effort to increase the public’s understanding of the CCP.
“More efforts should be made to expose the fascist nature of the CCP, raising awareness that it is a thoroughly fascist criminal organisation. This could prompt more vigilance among the people,” he said.
His comments come as the Australian government walks a difficult tightrope between standing up for its values against CCP infiltration and aggression, while trying to “normalise” trade ties.
Since the accession of the Labor government, Beijing has embarked on a charm offensive, removing $3 billion worth of trade sanctions from Australian exports—those sanctions were implemented in response to public calls for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19.
In Europe, a similar debate is occurring over whether to slap tariffs on low-cost Chinese EVs.
“German car manufacturers still want to sell their cars in China while countries like Spain or Hungary are hoping that they can supply parts for Chinese EVs sold in Europe,” said Etienne Soula, a research analyst at Alliance for Securing Democracy, in a statement to The Epoch Times.
Courage in the Face of Evil
Eric’s message to the public and former comrades came on the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, where he attended a rally on the lawn of federal Parliament House in Canberra.Rallygoers gathered to urge the government to publicly call for the end of the persecution of the faith group Falun Gong, as well as other human rights abuses in China.
“Some people say that the June 4th incident allowed them to discover the true nature of the CCP. But looking into the murderous deeds of the CCP across history, we realise the red flags were there long before that,” Eric told a crowd of more than 200 people through a translator.
“No matter who you are, as soon as you are considered a threat to the CCP, you are their enemy. Official or commoner, rich or poor, right or wrong; this is not important to them.
“We must clearly recognise that the communist party does not take into account whether you are a religious, ethical person or if you are an immoral criminal. When dealing with you, it only considers one thing: if you are on their side or not.”
While acknowledging the challenges, Eric encouraged each individual to stand up to the evils of the CCP.
“Ending the evildoings of the CCP doesn’t always require many people; sometimes, just you yourself is enough,” he said.
“The communist party often portrays itself as omniscient and omnipotent, a story of ’make-believe.' The fairy tales will be shattered, one by one, by those brave enough to challenge it.”
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia, along with the international community, would remember the tragic events of June 4, 1989.
“We call on China to cease suppression of freedoms of expression, assembly, media, and civil society, and to release those detained for peacefully expressing their political views.”
