On February 16, a food delivery rider working for “Panda Delivery” in Sydney initiated a protest over salary and working conditions, resulting in his family members in China being summoned and warned by the police. The Australian government openly condemned the interference of the Chinese Communist Party in the internal affairs of other countries.
According to reports from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), these riders had planned to strike during the Chinese New Year period in China to address issues related to platform salaries and labor conditions, but before the action began, they received international phone threats from the Chinese police. The Chinese authorities pressured these food delivery riders working in Australia, calling them and summoning their relatives in China, warning them not to participate in the protest, or they would face arrest upon their return to China.
“Panda Delivery” is a food delivery platform specializing in Asian cuisine, founded by a Chinese international student studying in the UK in 2017. The company operates in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide. Many of the riders are Chinese citizens working in Australia on temporary visas, not Australian citizens or permanent residents, and many of them still have family members in China.
The incident has sparked concerns among the Australian public about foreign interference.
On February 19, the Australian government publicly condemned the harassment of local residents by the Chinese police. A spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs emphasized that the “Australian government will not tolerate any surveillance, harassment, or threats against Australian citizens or lawful residents in Australia.”
According to a previous report in The Washington Post: “The Chinese government claims to follow a policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, but increasingly, evidence suggests otherwise… In fact, China has been rapidly expanding its interference in developing countries around the world. Its goal is to undermine the democratic systems of these countries, create economic dependencies, and suppress criticism of Beijing.”