Australian Businessman Convicted Under Foreign Influence Laws

Di Sanh Duong Found Guilty of Planning Political Interference for China, Marking Legal First in Australia

Melbourne businessman Di Sanh Duong has been found guilty of planning an act of foreign interference on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, marking the first conviction under Australia's foreign influence laws introduced in 2018.
Duong, a prominent figure in the Chinese community in Melbourne, was accused of attempting to secretly influence former federal government minister Alan Tudge with a large donation to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Prosecutors argued that Duong, a former member of the Victorian state branch of Australia’s Liberal Party, was an 'ideal target' for China’s United Front Work Department, an organization tasked with cultivating relations with elites outside the party.
Duong's conviction has been welcomed by the Australian Federal Police, who stated that 'foreign interference remains a significant national security priority'.
Duong, who pleaded not guilty, will be sentenced next year and faces a potential 10-year prison sentence.