A Chinese “spy” who tried to defect to Australia and claimed he was leaking Beijing’s spy secrets has been denied a visa, although he fears for his safety if he is deported
- A man who sensationally claimed to have done spy work for China was denied a visa
- Asylum seeker Liqiang Wang spread stories about high-level espionage work
- The court denies him the visa for fraud, although he admits he is in danger
A confessed spy for Beijing who sensationally exposed the extent of China’s overseas espionage activities on national television has been denied the right to remain in Australia.
Liqiang Wang, 32, has lost his application for refugee asylum after a court ruled he had seriously defrauded an Australian citizen.
This leaves the Chinese national open to deportation, although the tribunal said Mr Wang had “reasonable” concerns about what might happen if he returned to his home country.
Liqiang Wang, who came out as a spy for China on Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes in 2019, has lost his offer to stay in Australia
Mr Wang appeared on Nine’s 60 Minutes in 2019 to come out as a Chinese agent hired to do undercover work in Hong Kong and Taiwan to further Beijing’s interests.
During his media appearances, Mr. Wang said he met the head of China’s spy operations in Australia, who he says worked in the energy sector, and gave ASIO a dossier detailing his activities and knowledge of Beijing’s spy network.
Despite Mr Wang’s claims that he would be killed if brought back to China, immigration officials refused to convert his tourist visa to a refugee visa over an alleged fraud committed against Sydney businessman Filip Shu.
Mr Wang claimed he was involved in the kidnapping of Hong Kong bookseller Lee Bo (pictured on a protester’s sign) in 2015 for selling works the Chinese Communist Party did not like
According to Mr Wang, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen was a target of Chinese spies trying to thwart her election
The Australian Court of Appeal has upheld that decision, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Mr. Wang lives in Sydney with his wife Mia, who is studying in Australia, and the couple’s young son.
The Daily Telegraph reported that there was no sign of the family when they visited the address this week.
Beijing has consistently denied Mr Wang’s claims and says he is wanted in Shanghai on fraud allegations, though international law enforcement agency Interpol has yet to issue an arrest warrant, despite China’s requests.
Mr. Wang said he was a Chinese undercover agent involved in the kidnapping of Hong Kong bookseller Lee Bo in 2015 for selling works displeased by the Chinese Communist Party.
Mr. Wang was denied a refugee visa after immigration officials determined he had committed serious fraud against an Australian businessman
Mr Wang said his spy job is to undermine Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests, seen here in 2020
While Mr. Bo appeared on television in mainland China to say he went there of his own free will, other booksellers who were targeted and kidnapped at the time claim that was not the case.
Mr Wang said his other activities in Hong Kong included infiltrating universities, stealing military intelligence and weapons while undermining the powerful pro-democracy movement of the time.
In Taiwan, Mr Wang said he was carrying out orders from Beijing to rig election results and embezzle public funds to undermine Tsai Ing-wen’s anti-China presidency.
Mr Want also claimed China tried to elect an agent to Australia’s parliament, whom he identified as 32-year-old Bo “Nick” Zhao.
Weeks later, Zhao was found dead in a hotel room after allegedly telling ASIO that he had been asked to run for parliament and had been offered funding by a Chinese government official.