Australian lawmaker to resign amid global allegations of Chinese meddling
Washington Post•
Australian lawmaker to resign amid global allegations of Chinese meddling
BEIJING — Australia’s attempt to curb China’s growing influence in its political system claimed its first scalp on Tuesday, as a prominent opposition lawmaker pledged to quit over allegations that he was bought by Chinese money. Relations between Australia and China have nosedived in the past week, since Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s government moved to ban foreign political donations, citing “disturbing reports about Chinese influence” in Australian politics. The row between Canberra and Beijing comes at a time of heightened concern about covert attempts by the Chinese Communist Party to influence politics and academia around the globe, from the United States and Germany to Singapore
