Disaffected Chinese officials are closely watching how Australia deals with defector Wang Liqiang, with others weighing up whether to follow his path, an analyst says
Wang Liqiang, who claims to be a Chinese spy, wants to defect to Australia.The investigation revealed Mr Wang had fled to Australia after working as an intelligence operative in Hong Kong and Taiwan, supporting officers loyal to the Chinese Communist Party.
Taiwanese officials acted on the reports to detain businessman Xiang Xin last Sunday on suspicion he was influencing the country’s elections, but a debate is now raging over Mr Wang’s past. The first report of Mr Wang’s history described him as a "middleman" and a "cut-out" or "co-optee" for Chinese military intelligence system, rather than an intelligence officer.
"But a lot of commentary has asserted he was an intelligence officer and used that to cast doubt on his claims."
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