Australia is blocking a billionaire political donor from returning to the country over long-held fears he may be a Chinese influence agent
- A controversial Chinese businessman with alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party has been denied entry back into Australia from China, and his citizenship application has been rejected.
- The extraordinary move is the first time Australian officials have taken real action against the billionaire Huang Xiangmo, a notorious political donor and reported "Chinese influence agent," someone who uses their influence abroad to affect political outcomes on behalf of mainland China.
- Huang has been told his application to become an Australian citizen has failed and his permanent residency cancelled, according to a report from The Sydney Morning Herald published on Tuesday.
- The influential political donor is now effectively trapped in Beijing, unable to return to his $14 million mansion in Sydney.
The controversial Chinese businessman, political donor, and alleged Chinese Communist Party (CCP) operative, Huang Xiangmo, has been denied entry back into Australia and his citizenship application has been rejected.
It is the first time Australian officials have taken real action against one of the "Five Eyes' Alliance" growing legion of "Chinese influence agents," or more simply, those CCP-aligned businessmen leveraging their position to influence political outcomes abroad on behalf of mainland China.
While traveling back in China for the Chinese New Year, Huang was told his application to become an Australian citizen has failed and his permanent residency canceled, according to a report from The Sydney Morning Herald published on Tuesday.
The influential political donor is now effectively trapped in Beijing, unable to return to his $14 million mansion in Sydney, nor his family company, the Yuhu Group, which has lucrative real-estate projects in Sydney and Queensland.
But Huang wears other hats aside from munificent political donor and businessman. He is the chair of the Oceanic Alliance for the Promotion of the Peaceful Reunification of China - a globally recognized front for China's under-reported and highly successful United Front Work Department (UFWD).
As Adelaide University's Dr. Gerry Groot has extensively outlined, the UFWD is the force behind many elements of surveillance and political influence outside of China, on behalf of China.
In New Zealand,Anne-Marie Brady was targeted for harassment after detailing Chinese political influence and united front ties, which implicated member of parliament Yang Jian's former ties to Chinese intelligence.
And in 2017, The Financial Times also reported that the UFWD had strong successes in getting its favored candidates into elected positions in Canada.
But it is Australia, following a 2017 ABC/Fairfax investigation, where apparent united front work has been most effective.
Huang came to Australia in 2011 and the Chinese billionaire quickly established himself among Australia's business and political elite, while allegedly agitating on behalf of the Communist Party. In a few years, Huang gave more than Au$2 million to both the Coalition and Labor parties.
According to Huang's English-language biography on the Australian Council for the Peaceful Reunification of Chin website, Huang has made history as an agent of Chinese influence.
"Through his generous support and efforts, Mr. Xiangmo Huang has also made outstanding contributions to creating harmony and binding the Chinese ethnic groups in Australia into a cohesive force never before witnessed," his biography reads.