A Liberal party member who helped organise a Chinese-Australian business fundraising dinner has denied links to the Chinese Communist party after references to Chinas Belt and Road initiative appeared on invitations to the event.

The Australia Chinese United Business Association Federation (Acubaf), representing more than 50 associations and 1,000 individual businesses, is hosting a charity dinner on Friday to raise money for the Salvation Army and its bushfire appeal.

Invitations to the dinner, seen by Guardian Australia, advertise Acubafs role as to provide a bridge between Australian Chinese business and to offer the chance to cooperate for all Chinese associations, meanwhile offering access to the One Belt, One Road policy in China.

The Belt and Road initiative is the Chinese Communist partys $1tn global infrastructure project, building trade and supply routes and subsequent influence across the world.

After inquiries from the Guardian, one of the dinners organisers, Lina Zhao, provided an alternative invitation, identical except that the reference to Belt and Road was absent. She suggested that the original invitation might be fraudulent.

There is no evidence of manipulation on the original invitation, and it was sent to Guardian Australia by several independent sources.

Zhao said the organising committee never approved or distributed the original version of the invitation, and Acubaf was not a vehicle for Belt and Road.

Acubaf is an independent and Australia-based business association, registered in NSW, which is not affiliated with any Chinese government organisation.

Zhao said the dinner was a charitable event to help people affected by these catastrophic bushfire conditions.

A Liberal party member, Nancy Liu, who was also on the organising committee, said she had no political connections or links to the Chinese government.

I have no connection at all to any foreign government or organisation, she said. This isnt anything related to any foreign countries. This dinner is a local fundraising event for our local community. It is a good chance for the Chinese business community to contribute to their mission of building our local community.

The website of the Chinese embassy in Australia says one of the purposes of Acubaf is to provide opportunities for the innovative development opportunities brought by Chinas Belt and Road.

The Australian government has declined to become involved in Belt and Road, though the Victorian state government has signed on, as have several Pacific Island states.

The Acubaf previously also known as the Australian Chinese Chamber of Commerce Association has hosted the prime minister, Scott Morrison, the immigration minister, David Coleman, and a suite of federal and state government ministers, Chinese embassy and government officials.

Acubaf is the peak body for Chinese business associations in Australia and was established at a meeting held at the Sydney premises of the Australian Council for the Peaceful Reunification of China in 2016, when the exiled Chinese businessman Huang Xiangmo was its president. Liu served as vice-president of the ACPPRC and Jiang was on its executive committee during the time Huang was president. Lius name has been removed from the ACPPRC website.

Huang served for three years as president of the ACPPRC, which is regarded as the most significant of dozens of organisations in Australia controlled by the United Front Work Department, a Chinese government agency overseen directly by the Chinese Communist partys central committee.

The United Front Work Department leads operations outside China aimed at influencing overseas Chinese and western elites, in particular business leaders and politicians, to back Beijings policies and aims. The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, has described it as important magic weapon for the victory of the partys cause.

Liu, who sits on the Georges River council in Sydney and the Liberal party Chinese council in New South Wales, said she had ceased all involvement in the ACPPRC and had no personal contact with Mr Huang.

Huang said he did not retain any links to business chambers in Australia.

Huang is in Hong Kong after the Australian government rescinded his permanent residency last December on character grounds. His application for citizenship was withdrawn. Australian intelligence agencies had consistently warned political parties not to accept money from Huang, cautioning that he may have been acting as a conduit for Communist party influence.

Huang is currently locked in a court battle with the tax office which alleges he owes $140m in unpaid taxes, interest and penalties. The tax office has won a freezing order over his assets worldwide, including over a $12m mansion in Mosman held in his wifes name, but which the ATO says he paid for.

Huang is contesting the charges and has accused the tax office of being a despicable tool for political persecution, and saying unknown dark forces within an Australian deep state were conspiring against him.

Since having his visa revoked, Huang has pulled more than $50m out of Australia, and the tax office may seek to bankrupt him as part of the federal court proceedings, arguing he no longer has the assets in Australia to pay his tax bill.

Huang has also been a significant if absent feature of the Independent Commission Against Corruption hearings into NSW Labor party corruption.

It was alleged by party figures that Huang was the secret donor who illegally gave $100,000 in cash delivered in person in an Aldi shopping bag which was then disguised by the party through a series of false straw donors.

Huang has denied the allegations made before Icac but has declined to give evidence.

Originally posted here:

Liberal party member denies links to Chinese Communist party after Belt and Road controversy - The Guardian