Chau Chak Wing was named in Senate estimates on Monday night.
Senator Kitching’s comments relate to a foreign interference plot to bankroll political candidates revealed by ASIO director-general Mike Burgess in his annual threat assessment last week. Mr Burgess has declined to name the country behind the operation and whether it was a federal,state or local election.
“I am reliably informed that the puppeteer mentioned in your case study in your annual threat assessment speech given last week is Chau Chak Wing,” Senator Kitching said in a Senate estimates hearing on Monday night. “I believe it to be Chau Chak Wing. Are you able to confirm that it is Chau Chak Wing?”
Mr Burgess declined to comment,saying:“Senator as I said before,I will not comment on speculation of who is and who isn’t targets,in general or in specific,as you are asking me there.”
Dr Chau is an Australian citizen originally from China,and has donated more than $4 million to Australia’s major political parties since 2004. He has also donated more than $45 million to Australian universities.
Labor senator Kimberley Kitching said she believed the “puppeteer” was Chau Chak Wing in a Senate estimates hearing.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
It is not the first time Dr Chau has been named in Parliament for his alleged links to the Chinese Communist Party. In 2018 Liberal MP Andrew Hastienamed Dr Chau in parliament as being closely associated with the CCP’s lobbying arm,the United FrontWork Department,and alleged he was a co-conspirator in an FBI bribery case.
Last week,Mr Burgess said the foreign interference plot was run by a wealthy businessman with deep ties in both Australia and China,who was known to ASIO as “the puppeteer”. He said the wealthy individual covertly sought to advance the interests of a foreign power and undermine Australia’s sovereignty.