A federal politician says the death of a 32-year-old man and his potential links to an alleged plot to infiltrate Australia’s parliament with a foreign spy needs to be fully investigated.
Nine’s 60 Minutes aired extraordinary claims last night that Melbourne luxury car dealer Nick Zhao, 32, was cultivated by the Chinese government to run as a Liberal Party candidate.
Citing sources with knowledge of the alleged plot, the program revealed that Mr Zhao reported the plot to Australia’s spy agency ASIO.
He was then reportedly found dead in a Melbourne hotel room in March and investigators have been unable to conclude how he died.
The revelation of the alleged plot comes after 60 Minutes aired the claims of self-proclaimed Chinese spy Wang “William” Liqiang.
Nine newspapers had reported that Mr Wang has provided ASIO with details of how China’s senior military intelligence officers fund and conduct political interference operations in Australia, as well as in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
He claimed his loyalty to the Chinese government faltered after he received a fake South Korean passport and was made to travel to Taiwan to interfere in the upcoming election there.
Comments
(Old Spike)
It looks a lot like Wang is a fraudster. His claims are quite ridiculous, a Taiwanese ex-Intel guy has identified 10 things that don't add up. I'll be back later to elaborate
https://udn.com/news/amp/story/120838/4185036
What I find more curious is what ASIO are doing, not protecting him or refuting his story. Maybe this is why this additional story about a supposed spy operation/murder is being rolled out, because the Wang story fell apart within 24 hours.
(Old Spike)
ASIO are protecting him and the Wang story has not fallen apart at all. The 10 counter-claims given are not refutations. Referring to an agency by its old name is not evidence, and calling something "fantasy" is an assertion, not a refutation.
So how much are you being paid for this work you're doing? Or do they have your family?
(Old Spike)
I'd prefer to stick to the facts rather than turn this into a meaningless personal attack-fest. I wouldn't wanna let you off the hook that easily.
ASIO are protecting him
He's on a holiday visa in Sydney & has requested political asylum. That's not protection.
The story started falling apart when the Shanghai Police Dept released court records showing he was convicted of fraud in 2016, 2 hours after the 60 Minutes interview aired. Are you claiming that these records are fraudulent?
A couple of things stuck out to me as dubious just as someone a little familiar with what intel field agents do:
1. He's 26 & yet claims to have all this experience in multiple fields & territories.
- part of a cybersecurity team hacking US military secrets
- part of a HK unit trying to spread terror among HK rioters
- part of a HK unit who kidnapped a dissident
- as a spy assigned to Taiwan aiming to bring down the anti-Beijing president.
2. All of the things he claims to have been involved with seem designed to agitate foreigners against PRC. It honestly seems more like something from a movie than a real intel agent.
Let me ask: do you believe the statements he made on 60 Minutes to be true?
(Old Spike)
You don't wanna answer my 2 simple questions, sato?
Multiple Taiwanese intel officials including the ex-deputy head of military intelligence have called this guy a fraud. Shanghai police have gone on record with damning evidence showing that he's a wanted fugitive & ripped someone off for $650k in 2015. ASIO won't make a statement about whether they think he's legit. This China Bad Myth Buster role I've got is too fucking easy.
Here's about 20 reasons to doubt the guy...
http://shanghaiist.com/2019/11/26/shanghai-police-say-alleged-chinese-spy-seeking-asylum-in-australia-is-really-a-fraudster/
One more q: Have any intel sources (East or West) gone on record claiming Wang Liqiang is who he says he is?
(Long Spike)
Dinmin does not come across as a PRC operative in any way. He recognizes both sides of the issue and gives equal time to the positives and negatives of both........actually, he is solidly pro-PRC and exhibits signs of being a wumao deskman. Try and post anything that points out a fact about the negatives of the Chinese government and he punches his wumao clock and engages in long rambling defenses of them. It's bizarre.
Please defend this Dinmin: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-50511063
https://qz.com/1755018/chinas-manual-for-uighur-detention-camps-revealed-in-data-leak/
Fake treatment of Uighurs:
(Long Spike)
China has spies in Australia......That's not new.