Key Point
- Victoria Police say they are aware of images of a car found in Melbourne.
- No police complaints regarding the vehicle.
- Liberal front ventures and critics of the Chinese Communist Party fear that the Chinese government may be involved.
Federal opposition parties have expressed concern that fake Chinese police cars found in Victoria are being used to “intimidate” and “instill fear in” members of the Chinese-Australian community.
But experts familiar with Australia-China relations suspect foreign interference at work, saying someone could be trolling the community.
A photo of a car parked in Melbourne garnered widespread attention after it was posted on social media over the weekend, with various unofficial stickers attached to it to make it appear to be a Chinese government vehicle.
“Ministry of Public Security” is written on the side of the car, and “Police” is written in Chinese characters on the hood.
Victoria Police said they were aware of the images but had not yet received any complaints about the matter.
“At this time, no specific crime has been detected and we have not received any reports related to this matter,” a spokesperson told SBS News in a statement.
The Coalition’s newly appointed Home Affairs spokesman, James Patterson, may just be a case of ‘crazed’ supporters of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Australia, but it could be a case of foreign interference. There is also sexuality.
Senator Patterson told Melbourne’s Radio 3AW on Tuesday: “I am concerned that it is intended to intimidate the Chinese diaspora in Australia.
“It will intimidate and terrify the minds of Chinese-Australians.”
Senator Patterson said it was “totally unacceptable” for anyone to claim to represent the Chinese police in Australia.
“The Chinese government has been the largest source of attempted foreign intervention in Australia, and it has taken many forms.
“But one of the main targets is the Chinese-Australian community. obliged, and this includes supporting their political objectives.”
Benjamin Herskowicz, a research associate at the Australian National University and an expert on Australia-China relations, believes that the apparent nature of the car’s presence makes it highly unlikely that it is state-sponsored and state-sanctioned by China. Stated.
“And certainly, if there is any connection between the Chinese intelligence services or the Chinese security services and the individual or individuals driving this vehicle, I think it would be very distant.” he told SBS News.
Herskovich said it would be a “huge responsibility” for Beijing to get involved in the car, especially at a time when the Chinese government was trying to mend ties with Australia.
“From the Chinese government’s point of view, the benefits of driving such a car through the streets of Melbourne are not great enough to justify the diplomatic turmoil and drama for the Chinese government. It goes back to.”
Herskovich said the threat of foreign intervention was “very real”, especially when it came to Chinese students attending Australian universities.
“If they’re going for it, they’re not going to do it through public means, like a car driving around with that kind of text and that kind of image. There will be many ways to do it in insidious ways.”
This is not the first time a car has been spotted in Australia with Chinese police sign labels.
ABC News reported in 2019 that two cars had been found in Adelaide and Perth, with one owner claiming they were part of a “joke”.
Two New York residents have been reportedly arrested for running a Chinese “secret police station” in Manhattan’s Chinatown district.
Last year, the international NGO Safeguard Defenders reported that: in recent years.
SBS News has contacted Australian Federal Police about the vehicle.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/troll-or-spy-why-this-fake-chinese-police-car-spotted-in-australia-has-caused-a-stir/1kgrpqx7z Troll or spy?Why This Fake Chinese Police Car Found In Australia Was Controversial
