Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Australia from June 15th to 18th for a four-day visit, aiming to improve Sino-Australian relations. Eric, a former Chinese Communist Party special agent who fled to Australia last year, protested on-site and warned against dealing with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), stating that all trade between the West and the CCP is essentially giving them a lifeline.
Li Keqiang’s visit to Australia marks the first visit by a Chinese Premier in seven years. On June 17th, Li Keqiang held the ninth annual prime ministerial meeting with Australian Prime Minister Albanese at the Parliament House in Canberra. He also met intensively with Australian Senate President, House Speaker, Governor-General, and other dignitaries. It is believed that Li Keqiang’s trip is aimed at urgently improving Sino-Australian relations, although the tangible results remain to be seen.
Sino-Australian relations deteriorated in 2020. At the beginning of 2020, the CCP’s cover-up of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan quickly led to a global pandemic. Australia, echoing the United States, announced an investigation into the origins of the virus, triggering a series of economic retaliations from the CCP. It was not until 2022 that the CCP, mired in Western “risk avoidance,” began to gradually lift its retaliatory measures to restore normal trade relations.
On June 17th, Li Keqiang announced that Australia would be included in the list of countries eligible for visa-free entry, and pledged to expand cooperation in the energy and mining sectors. The day before, Li Keqiang promised to lease two new giant pandas to Australia, reviving “panda diplomacy.”
During the protest rally, Eric stated that Li Keqiang, representing his boss Xi Jinping, came to win over Australia. He cautioned against stabilizing bilateral relations, lifting sanctions on China (CCP), and resuming trade, emphasizing that such interactions ultimately strengthen authoritarian regimes and increase the risk of conflicts worldwide.
After the visit to Canberra, on June 18th, Li Keqiang held a roundtable meeting with business leaders in Perth, the capital of Western Australia, visited a lithium mine, and participated in activities with the Chinese community alongside the Australian Prime Minister.
Eric, who served as an undercover agent for the CCP, monitoring overseas Chinese for nearly 15 years before defecting to Australia in 2023, emphasized the need for vigilance against the CCP’s influence in business and the Chinese community. He warned against the insidious effects of closer ties with the CCP, stating that interactions with such regimes are akin to aiding their oppressive rule and perpetuating human rights crises worldwide.
Furthermore, Eric revealed in a previous interview that many Chinese community organizations and business associations in Australia are targeted by the CCP for clandestine activities. He emphasized the importance of minimizing, if not severing, economic ties with the CCP to weaken its grip on power.
The protests against high-ranking CCP leaders visiting Australia were met with a significant turnout, with various groups protesting around the Parliament House where Li Keqiang’s welcoming ceremony was held. The protestors called on the Australian government to prioritize human rights over economic interests and curb CCP persecution.
This was Eric’s first time participating in a protest against CCP senior officials’ visit, expressing that the atmosphere was lively with a substantial anti-CCP presence, especially noting the vocal Tibetan protestors who made a strong impact.
Both pro and anti-CCP supporters were present during Li Keqiang’s visit. Conflict arose between the welcoming group and a Hong Kong-based organization, resulting in flag-grabbing incidents. Eric highlighted the confrontational and aggressive tendencies of pro-CCP supporters, reflecting the behavior exhibited by the CCP.
He also mentioned the discontent among some individuals welcomed by the Chinese side, who were promised monetary rewards but did not receive them, leading to dissatisfaction. According to the sources Eric spoke with, some individuals did not receive payments, resulting in negative remarks about the CCP Embassy’s conduct.
Melbourne democracy advocate Gao Jian, who attended the protests, emphasized that the global Chinese community is not uniformly pro-CCP and called for Western democratic governments to recognize this diversity.
Eric reiterated the importance of raising awareness and denouncing the CCP’s fascist crimes, urging against engaging in any transactions or dealings with this authoritarian organization in the free world.