Page 10 - The Giant Awakens - A Collection of Insights into Chinese Government Influence in Australia
P. 10
PHOTO: EMILY ZHANG
Interference with Academic Activities
in Australian Universities
JINJIANG We often hear about the One day after the event, to hiring rooms for a small scale However, I never expected the
ZHONG Chinese Communist Peter sought me out. He seminar within universities. UTS Facilities Hire to call me
Par ty’s overs e as seemed anxious. He asked to cancel my lease due to ‘other
In Australia, infiltration. In Australia, the me what the hired room was Example 2: activities’ in the room on the
the Chinese Chinese Communist Party’s used for. Although I tried In 2007, when dissident Chen same day. I immediately went to
Communist activities are not limited to to remain low-key, he still Ziming made his first trip see them, and asked them what
Party’s activities infiltration; the red tide of the knew my involvement in the to Australia, our friends from kind of activities were being held
are not limited Chinese Communist Party has pro-democratic movement and the democratic movement in that room. The man did not
to infiltration; also had a serious impact on was willing to help. But he was invited him to conduct an open answer my question. I asked him
the red tide of our lives and social activities. nervous. He said, “It is likely seminar in the name of our if the Chinese Consulate had
the Chinese Their actions aren’t limited to that I may lose my job.” I asked university. Having learned from called, he said that he couldn’t
Communist Party quiet manipulations behind the him, “What is the matter?" He my previous experience, I did comment.
has also had a scenes. Rather, we feel that our said, “Someone called me this not book a room free of charge
serious impact lives here are being seriously morning from the Dean’s office, through internal channels at It became quite obvious
on our lives as affected and blatantly disturbed. enquiring about the details of the university, rather I hired a that after the advertisement of
well as social the activities which took place in room in the name of an outside our activity, the news of Chen
activities. During the early 2000s, I that hired room.” I immediately organisation. Ziming and Wang Juntao’s
studied and worked at the gave him detailed information intended visit to the university
10 Universit y of Te chnolog y, about our activities since the As we were to advertise the became widespread. The Chinese
Sydney (UTS). During my time university was investigating into seminar, I knew that once news Consulate immediately tried to
there, I would often organize the matter. of the seminar were to become intervene. I showed the Facilities
various forms of activities public, the Chinese Consulate Hire the signed contract, telling
through the university. There are We later heard that following would try to intervene through them that the advertisement was
many examples of the Chinese our activity, the Chinese the university. As a safeguard, placed, people were informed,
Communist Party directly consulate had made a phone I asked for a written contract and they were thus not able to
interfering with our academic call to the university protesting and ensured payment for the compensate my loss. Due to my
activities on campus. I will give the activity and Wei Jingsheng’s room hire. I was afraid that once resolute attitude, the seminar
two examples here. attendance. The university was the Chinese Consulate began was able to proceed as planned.
Example 1: quite nervous as the following to pressure the university, the
In 2003, the Australian Council day the engineering college was university would yield. Once However, the university was
for the Promotion of Peaceful to meet a six-person delegation I had signed a formal leasing still uneasy. The staff member
Reunification of China (ACPPRC) from Beijing to discuss an contract, I advertised the seminar who had leased the room to us
organised a relatively large event Olympic Games-related project. in a newspaper. I was now certain seemed anxious. He attended on
in Sydney. From what I heard, The Chinese Communist that no problems would arise. the day of the seminar to ensure
they spent 300,000 Australian Party wanted to introduce the that our activity proceeded
dollars to invite former US technology from the Sydney The university smoothly.
President Bill Clinton to make Olympic Park solar energy feared that our
a speech. Our democratic- facilities in anticipation of the seminar would The above are two examples
movement organization also 2008 Beijing Olympic Games jeopardise their of how the Chinese Communist
invited Wei Jingsheng from and the university feared that our business deal Party is openly interfering
the United States. I applied seminar would jeopardise their with the Chinese with academic activities in our
through UTS to book a room business deal with the Chinese government. universities.
to host Wei’s speech and my government. Dr Jinjiang Zhong holds a PhD
colleague Peter helped with in Electrical Engineering and is
this application. Peter was a From this example, it became a PhD candidate at Cambridge
Cambridge University graduate obvious that the Chinese University in Chinese Economy
and an associate professor at Communist Party was directly and Management. He is currently
UTS. interfering with Australia’s free the Chairman of the Chinese
society through its business Alliance for Democracy and the
opportunities, even extending director of China Transformation
Study Institute (Australia).
2017 Vision Times Special Edition
Interference with Academic Activities
in Australian Universities
JINJIANG We often hear about the One day after the event, to hiring rooms for a small scale However, I never expected the
ZHONG Chinese Communist Peter sought me out. He seminar within universities. UTS Facilities Hire to call me
Par ty’s overs e as seemed anxious. He asked to cancel my lease due to ‘other
In Australia, infiltration. In Australia, the me what the hired room was Example 2: activities’ in the room on the
the Chinese Chinese Communist Party’s used for. Although I tried In 2007, when dissident Chen same day. I immediately went to
Communist activities are not limited to to remain low-key, he still Ziming made his first trip see them, and asked them what
Party’s activities infiltration; the red tide of the knew my involvement in the to Australia, our friends from kind of activities were being held
are not limited Chinese Communist Party has pro-democratic movement and the democratic movement in that room. The man did not
to infiltration; also had a serious impact on was willing to help. But he was invited him to conduct an open answer my question. I asked him
the red tide of our lives and social activities. nervous. He said, “It is likely seminar in the name of our if the Chinese Consulate had
the Chinese Their actions aren’t limited to that I may lose my job.” I asked university. Having learned from called, he said that he couldn’t
Communist Party quiet manipulations behind the him, “What is the matter?" He my previous experience, I did comment.
has also had a scenes. Rather, we feel that our said, “Someone called me this not book a room free of charge
serious impact lives here are being seriously morning from the Dean’s office, through internal channels at It became quite obvious
on our lives as affected and blatantly disturbed. enquiring about the details of the university, rather I hired a that after the advertisement of
well as social the activities which took place in room in the name of an outside our activity, the news of Chen
activities. During the early 2000s, I that hired room.” I immediately organisation. Ziming and Wang Juntao’s
studied and worked at the gave him detailed information intended visit to the university
10 Universit y of Te chnolog y, about our activities since the As we were to advertise the became widespread. The Chinese
Sydney (UTS). During my time university was investigating into seminar, I knew that once news Consulate immediately tried to
there, I would often organize the matter. of the seminar were to become intervene. I showed the Facilities
various forms of activities public, the Chinese Consulate Hire the signed contract, telling
through the university. There are We later heard that following would try to intervene through them that the advertisement was
many examples of the Chinese our activity, the Chinese the university. As a safeguard, placed, people were informed,
Communist Party directly consulate had made a phone I asked for a written contract and they were thus not able to
interfering with our academic call to the university protesting and ensured payment for the compensate my loss. Due to my
activities on campus. I will give the activity and Wei Jingsheng’s room hire. I was afraid that once resolute attitude, the seminar
two examples here. attendance. The university was the Chinese Consulate began was able to proceed as planned.
Example 1: quite nervous as the following to pressure the university, the
In 2003, the Australian Council day the engineering college was university would yield. Once However, the university was
for the Promotion of Peaceful to meet a six-person delegation I had signed a formal leasing still uneasy. The staff member
Reunification of China (ACPPRC) from Beijing to discuss an contract, I advertised the seminar who had leased the room to us
organised a relatively large event Olympic Games-related project. in a newspaper. I was now certain seemed anxious. He attended on
in Sydney. From what I heard, The Chinese Communist that no problems would arise. the day of the seminar to ensure
they spent 300,000 Australian Party wanted to introduce the that our activity proceeded
dollars to invite former US technology from the Sydney The university smoothly.
President Bill Clinton to make Olympic Park solar energy feared that our
a speech. Our democratic- facilities in anticipation of the seminar would The above are two examples
movement organization also 2008 Beijing Olympic Games jeopardise their of how the Chinese Communist
invited Wei Jingsheng from and the university feared that our business deal Party is openly interfering
the United States. I applied seminar would jeopardise their with the Chinese with academic activities in our
through UTS to book a room business deal with the Chinese government. universities.
to host Wei’s speech and my government. Dr Jinjiang Zhong holds a PhD
colleague Peter helped with in Electrical Engineering and is
this application. Peter was a From this example, it became a PhD candidate at Cambridge
Cambridge University graduate obvious that the Chinese University in Chinese Economy
and an associate professor at Communist Party was directly and Management. He is currently
UTS. interfering with Australia’s free the Chairman of the Chinese
society through its business Alliance for Democracy and the
opportunities, even extending director of China Transformation
Study Institute (Australia).
2017 Vision Times Special Edition
