Is China planning to have full control over Australian political system? According to an ex- spy master of Australia-yes. Duncan Lewis, former spy Chief of the country has charged that China is seeking to "take over" Australia's political system with an "insidious" and systematic campaign of espionage and influence-peddling, He revealed that China could target anyone in political office, with the impact potentially not known for years to come. In his interview to daily Lewis said that China' penetration is so deep not only in politics but also in the community or in business. It takes over, basically, pulling the strings from offshore. He suggested that the help of Australia's large ethnic Chinese community was "vital in the work against foreign covert influence" much like Muslim-Australians who have aided in the fight against terrorism. He elaborated that Chinese agents making large contributions to Australian political parties as part of a wide-ranging influence-peddling campaign and also targeted media and the country's universities.
Lewis resigned in September after five years at the head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO). He served as Australia's ambassador to Belgium and NATO. It is widely suspected that China was behind major intrusions into the computer systems of Australia's parliament and a university with close ties to the government and security services.
