Chinese ‘spy’ admits Hong Kong infiltration
First ‘Beijing agent’ to blow cover tells Australian media of covert operations across Asia-Pacific region
A CHINESE spy believed to be the first operative from the country to blow his cover has revealed unprecedented details about how Beijing’s undercover agents are infiltrating Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.
Wang “William” Liqiang is seeking asylum in Australia, where he has offered a trove of secrets about Chinese political interference operations in
Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia. In
interviews with The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes, Mr Wang described how he was tasked by military intelligence officials with collecting information related to pro-independence activists in Hong Kong. The city’s universities, two of which have been the scene of fierce standoffs between riot police and protesters over the past two weeks, were a key focus.
Mr Wang claimed his organisation had “infiltrated into all universities, including student associations and other student groups”.
He was responsible for recruiting mainland China students by luring them with scholarships, travel grants and an education foundation. “I influenced them with patriotism, guiding them to love the country, love the [Communist] party and our leaders, and fight back strongly against those independence and democracy activists in Hong Kong,” he said.
Some students were directed to pretend they supported the independence movement in order to spy on activists, and make their personal data public.
Mr Wang also said his Chinese handlers issued him with a fake South Korean passport to travel to Taiwan to manage a “cyber army” and to support China’s campaign to infiltrate its political system and meddle in elections.
China wants to annex Taiwan, a democracy of 23million which operates like any other country with its own government, military and currency. Mr Wang alleged that his intelligence operation was in contact with media executives as part of a systematic influence campaign to topple presidential candidates Beijing considered hostile, including Tsai Ing-wen, the current president.
Mr Wang’s political asylum bid is likely to inflame existing tensions between Australia and China over Canberra’s assertions that its most important trading partner is meddling in domestic affairs.
It follows a warning from Duncan Lewis, a retired Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) chief, that Beijing was seeking to use “insidious” foreign interference operations to hijack the country’s political system.
Mr Wang is currently hiding in an undisclosed location in Sydney. Australia’s department of home affairs said it did not comment on individual cases.
Anthony Albanese, the opposition leader, said the reports were “of real concern” and that Mr Wang may have “a legitimate claim for asylum”.
The Age reported that Mr Wang admitted to ASIO that he had “personally been involved and participated in a series of espionage activities” and said that he had met the head of a deepcover spy ring operating with impunity in Australia. He fears he will face certain detention and possible execution if he returns to China.
China’s Foreign Ministry and ASIO declined to publicly comment on his unverified claims, which apparently include the identities of China’s senior military intelligence officers in Hong Kong, and sensitive details about how Beijing covertly controls listed companies to fund intelligence operations.
Chinese police said last night that the Mr Wang was an “unemployed” fraud fugitive.