Chinese police hunting international corruption targets were allowed into Australia by the federal police and subsequently escorted a woman back to China for trial, in a major breach of Chinese-Australian police protocols.
The revelations, contained in Monday night’s Four Corners program about a former Chinese spy, prompted a sharp rebuke from federal politicians who are concerned the act may have undermined Australia’s national security.
The Chinese police were permitted to enter Australia in 2019 to talk with a 59-year-old Chinese-born Australian resident.
The woman was targeted under a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) anti-corruption drive called Operation Fox Hunt, which relies on police from the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) to make arrests.
Her case is one of 283 cases documented by an international NGO, Safeguard Defenders, in its recent report, Chasing Fox Hunt.
While Fox Hunt is described by the CCP as targeting “economic criminals”, human rights groups have said it is also used to silence dissidents and abduct people around the world.
“Escort back to China” sure is a weird way of saying they kidnapped her.
Traditionally, countries will have extradition agreements that facilitate arrest of criminals in flight.
Thanks to break down in relations between China and Western states, it has become increasingly common for Chinese embezzlers and con-artists to flee abroad with cash assets in hopes of evading arrest.
Of course, this works both ways with Australian felony suspects hiding in China to the same effect.
In 2017, the Turnbull government abruptly withdrew from parliament a proposed Chinese extradition treaty following significant backbench discontent.
Since then, the Australian government has resorted to various agreements with MPS and other Chinese security agencies as a means of cooperating with China on criminal matters.
So this becomes an end run for both countries to seek “voluntary” extradition, primarily by threatening potential accomplices and family property in the original country.
And it exists for good reason. You generally don’t want your country to become a haven for fraudsters because they’ll keep committing fraud in their new country.
Yvette Wang, accused of being an accomplice of exiled and indicted Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui, pleaded guilty in New York last week to defrauding many investors out of over $1 billion in “a complex scheme,” prosecutors said.
Fraud in China has far worse consequences than fraud in Australia. Even if I were to be arrested, I’d prefer it to happen in Australia where I can get off with a slap on the wrist.
Even if I were to be arrested, I’d prefer it to happen in Australia
On Monday, as the temperature soared to 43 C in Roebourne, the Service revealed the “distressing outcome” is that prisoners are still living in cells without air-conditioning, in “conditions that could prove fatal from heat stress or heat stroke”.
Enjoy yourself, I guess.
Fraudsters aren’t being shipped to a regional prison in one of the most remote areas of the country lol
True. White collar crimes getting the white glove treatment isn’t unusual in the West, no matter how many lives are ruined.
I’ll take 43C/109F to a forced labor internment camp but you do you.
I’ll take 43C/109F
I would pass on it.
Oasis agriculture in the Tarim Basin occupies a large part of the population
In the Tarim Basin, July temperatures average about 80 °F (27 °C)
…
After the Cultural Revolution, political and economic policies were moderated, leading to widespread improvement in the livelihood of farmers and pastoralists and to relative stability and economic growth in the region. This was accompanied—especially from the late 1990s—by increased economic investment in Xinjiang, as well as by an influx of Han from other parts of China.
Sounds awful. Enjoy your Australian prison.
They’re not saying they want to go to prison in Australia. They’re saying it would obviously be better than going to prison in freaking China.
I feel like you’re a Chinese prison salesman or something.
They’re not saying they want to go to prison in Australia.
No, they’re just hanging their hat on “China Always Worse”.
you’re a Chinese prison salesman
That’s a sane and logical conclusion
they’re just hanging their hat on “China Always Worse”.
Compared to Australia? Yes, going to prison in China would be worse.
How much you want to bet that jail has even a single white collar criminal in it exposed to 43 C heat?
Thanks. That’s what I needed to know.
Can’t speak for Australians, but as a Canadian who expects that the same could happen here - why the fuck are our governments so apathetic about this shit?.
Stand up for the people trusting you. Be MAD. Stop doing it if you’re also doing it.
In the UK there was a peaceful protester and the Chinese dragged him into the embassy grounds and beat him in front of the public. They have diplomatic immunity.
Nothing was done obviously.
No wonder China and Russia shit over us and act like we are weak. We are. We proved it multiple times.
Fuck the West is shadow of what it once was.
I think this is what molotov cocktails were made for.
Might want to look up the etymology. Molotovs tended to be aimed at Western partisans.
Yeah, it’s not like western governments, “intelligence” agencies or police would ever beat protesters, persecute political dissidents, murder civilians, torture suspects in designated black sites, ally with dictatorships who torture and murder journalists with bone saws, overthrow democratically elected governments, or engage in any behavior that is horrifically anti-democratic or anti-human rights.
That time when the west was historically great was a lie. We were only better than fascism or communism, but our ruling class, the politicians they own, and their corporations have always engaged in horrific shit. Ours just hide behind the media and a liability shield of a dozen LLC’s, or do it hidden behind closed doors — unless you’re a palestinian, protester, communist, or a dozen other groups who are okay to oppress publicly at any given time.
Yeah and everyone knows: Whataboutisms are a really great way to argue your point!
It would be Whataboutism if I defended the accusations against China or Russia. I explicitly said we were better — just only better than the bottom of the barrel — and the whole point of my comment was to refute the right-wing nationalist fantasy that we were historically “strong”, “great” or “righteous”; a time that never existed in reality.
I suggest you learn what maketh a logical fallacy.
the Chinese dragged him into the embassy grounds and beat him in front of the public
Uh… any link on that? I’m not finding this reference anywhere.
Ok so now we will not allow Chinese police into Australia right?
insert Anakin and Padme meme
China being China, this shit has been going on for decades
I think this is what the surprised Pikachu meme was created for.
Chinese Communist Party’s…anti-corruption drive. Next up, we’ve got prostitutes fucking for virginity. 🤪
They do it because they can and there are no consequences, it’s not the wolf’s fault for eating the sheep, its the shepherd who left the door open.
Nah it’s still the wolf’s fault, even when the shepherd is terrible. Take the wolf out of the equation, and the sheep live regardless of the shepherd’s capabilities.
Why the heck would Australia even allow Chinese police on their soil? Isn’t this usually done by requesting extradition? Makes no sense.
There must have been some kind of cooperation, Australia has custom offices and border controls at airports and harbours. They won’t let her out without looking at her passport, etc.
Read the news better…
Maybe they shoved her in a diplomatic pouch.
4 years without a headline. The AFP didn’t even consider this objectionable. The AFP are scum.
I am not supplies
Surprised
You callin’ him a liar? >_>
Sounds to me like China is asking for a bomb. Australia should give them one. You don’t come steal my cat after asking for pets unless you want me to show up at your door and shoot you in the face.
!iAmVeryBadass
Would you do less for your cat?
