Australia's Chinese Moles

Army queries for Labor MP Pierre Yang’s China links
By Nick Butterly and Geof Parry

The internal enemy: Pierre Yang is in the army stand-by reserve.

Embattled WA Labor MP Pierre Yang could face a please explain from the Australian Army, with the backbencher admitting he failed to tell the Defence Department of his links to Chinese Communist Party-linked bodies.
Yang, who finds himself at the centre of a damaging factional brawl amid claims of ethnic branch stacking, said he was seeking advice from the Australian Defence Force as to whether he must declare past membership of the groups.
Yang sobbed last week as he told Parliament he had made a mistake in not disclosing his membership of two Chinese organisations, which appear to advocate policies such as China’s territorial grab over the South China Sea.
He has since cancelled his memberships with the North-East China Federation and the Association of Great China.
Yang, who is a captain in the Australian Army stand-by reserve, said he ask the ADF about declaring links with the Chinese groups.
“If I am instructed to disclose the former memberships in those two organisations, I will comply with the direction of the Australian Army,” he said.

For security reasons, the Defence Department demands scrupulous disclosures from members, from changes in family situations to memberships of social groups and trips overseas.
Labor State president Carolyn Smith made a strong defence of Yang at the weekend after complaints from sections of the party the backbencher was using many Chinese-Australians to stack branches.
Smith complained of “senior members” of the party leaking information on Yang.
Smith and Yang both come from Labor’s Left faction.

Australia's Chinese Moles: The Manchurian Labor

Labor MP Pierre Yang "forgets" to disclose China memberships

• Yang says he knows nothing about the affiliation between the groups he joined and the Chinese Communist Party
• He says he only gave legal advice to group members, not the organisations

By Eliza Borrello and Eliza Laschon

Yang and his protector, WA Labor Premier Mark McGowan

WA Labor MP Pierre Yang has given a lengthy radio interview defending his character and apologising for not disclosing his memberships of two Chinese organisations.
Yang, a Chinese-born member of the Upper House, has been at the centre of intense media scrutiny after News Corp reported on Tuesday that he had not disclosed memberships of two groups affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party.
The 35-year-old lawyer cancelled his memberships of both the Northeast China Federation Inc and the Association of Great China after the story was posted.
Curtin University's former head of Chinese Studies Catherine Yeung told the ABC the Northeast China Federation Inc was affiliated with the United Front Work Department — a Communist Party agency promoting China's political interests overseas.
She also said the Association of Great China signed a letter supporting China's claim of sovereignty in the South China Sea.
Yang spoke at length to ABC Perth on Wednesday afternoon and said he was "not aware" of either groups' affiliations with the Communist Party.
"I'll admit I overlooked my disclosure. I rectified that and I admit that it was my mistake," he said.
He also conceded not knowing about the organisations' affiliations was naive.
"And that's why I have taken action to rectify my oversight and I apologise for that," he said.

Yang yesterday confirmed he was a voluntary legal adviser to both groups for several months after he commenced his parliamentary term, but said he had not done work for them.
Today he said he had done legal work, but for "individual" members of the organisations, not the entities themselves.
Yang remains adamant he is not yet a member of the Australian Council for the Promotion of the Peaceful Reunification of China, despite his name appearing online as an executive of the group.
"I don't know why my name is there and I had instructed my lawyer to write to the organisation to remove my name," he said today.
The Australian Council for the Promotion of the Peaceful Reunification of China's former head was Huang Xiangmo, a prominent political donor embroiled in the scandal that forced the resignation of ex Labor Senator Sam Dastyari.

From China with love: Yang, pictured with his protector, says he "loves" Australia.

The interview ended with Yang declaring his "love" for Australia and saying he hoped to be a good example for other foreign-born Australians aspiring to enter Parliament.
"I'm an Australian, I have been an Australian citizen for 13 years ... this is my country, Australia has given me so much.
"My wife, my children were born here and you know I "love" this country."
WA Premier Mark McGowan is continuing to stand by Yang.
"It's discretionary on your parliamentary disclosures as to what memberships you put on there and you'll find very few members of parliament put any disclosures of organisations we're members of because generally we're members of scores," he said.
McGowan also said it did not concern him that the two organisations in question were affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party.
"No, it doesn't, look, China is our biggest trading partner, they're the country that we rely on most for jobs and opportunities in Australia."
Pierre Yang's parliamentary interests register did not include the memberships of two organisations  affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party.