The recent New York Times exposé on August 25, 2025, titled "How China Influences Elections in America's Biggest City," paints a vivid picture of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) infiltration through community groups, non-profits, and political alliances in New York. But this isn't just a Big Apple story, it's a blueprint that's already being replicated Down Under. Drawing parallels between the CCP's United Front Work Department (UFWD)-style operations in the U.S. and Australia reveals a consistent playbook: co-opting diaspora communities, funnelling funds, and grooming politicians for long-term influence. If New York's tactics sound familiar, it's because Australia has been grappling with similar incursions for years, and with escalating tensions, we can expect these efforts to intensify.
The New York Playbook: Non-profits, Oaths, and Political PuppetryThe Times piece uncovers how the Chinese consulate in Manhattan mobilises over 50 organisations, many non-profits tied to Beijing, to endorse candidates, host fundraisers, and steer elections. These groups, often masquerading as cultural or community associations, are "supervised, directed, and controlled" by Chinese officials, per federal indictments. Take Governor Kathy Hochul: Her former aide was indicted for conspiring with CCP-linked associations, and she attended a fundraiser co-hosted by the Asian American Community Empowerment non-profit, led by a businessman with ties to the Chinese government and a criminal past in heroin trafficking. In return? Her administration doled out $45,000 in pandemic aid to the group shortly after. It's a classic quid pro quo, where tax-exempt charities flout IRS rules by electioneering, endorsing candidates despite claiming otherwise on tax forms.
Then there's Representative Grace Meng (D-NY), who spoke at an event where leaders pledged loyalty to CCP policies, including Taiwan "reunification," and sang patriotic Chinese anthems under the watchful eyes of consulate officials. The goal, as expert Audrye Wong notes, is to quash diaspora dissent and bet on rising politicians who might one day shape national policy. This isn't random; it's the UFWD in action, a CCP arm that blends engagement, intelligence, and influence to align overseas elites with Beijing's agenda. Non-profits serve as the perfect cover: They receive government funding, mobilise voters, and evade scrutiny due to lax enforcement.
Sound like a movie plot? It's real, and it's effective because it exploits democratic openness, free association, campaign finance loopholes, and ethnic community ties, while operating in the shadows.
Australian Echoes: From Donations to Diaspora MobilisationAustralia's experience with CCP influence reads like a prequel to New York's drama, with the same cast of community groups, shadowy funding, and political entanglements. Since at least 2017, revelations have exposed how the UFWD coordinates influence operations, co-opting ethnic Chinese organisations to monitor, fund, and sway Australian politics. The Lowly Institute's 2021 report on "Lines Blurred," highlights how these groups blur the line between community service and CCP loyalty, often encouraging bloc voting and fundraising for "friendly" candidates.
Flash back to 2019: The Gladys Liu scandal, where a Liberal MP was linked to CCP-affiliated groups, including those under UFWD oversight, raising questions about undisclosed ties and influence on her parliamentary role. That same year, an alleged infiltration plot targeted the Australian Parliament, with a businessman reportedly offering $677,000 to fund a candidate's campaign on behalf of CCP interests. Echoing New York's non-profit abuses, large donations from CCP-linked ethnic Chinese donors have flowed into major parties, prompting bans on foreign donations in 2018, but loopholes persist.
Fast-forward to 2025: Just as in New York, CCP-linked groups are meddling in elections. In April, a group with historical CCP ties "required" Chinese Australians to vote for a specific independent candidate, mobilising volunteers and blurring lines between community support and coerced political action. Another incident saw a China-linked organisation accused of interfering in the federal election by backing an independent, mirroring the Times' reports of consulate-orchestrated endorsements. Chinese international students, often under UFWD influence, have volunteered in campaigns despite lacking voting rights, driven by patriotism or pressure from Beijing.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) has documented how the CCP cultivates "friendly forces" in diaspora communities, using united front tactics to pressure politicians and silence critics. This includes monitoring anti-CCP activism among students and academics, infiltrating media for censorship, and leveraging business ties for economic coercion. Former PM Malcolm Turnbull has called out "blatant" operations, noting that despite transparency registers, many activities slip through.
Parallels abound: Like Hochul's aide, Australian figures have faced scrutiny for UFWD-supervised associations. Non-profits in both places receive government funds while endorsing candidates, violating laws with impunity due to resource-strapped regulators. And the long game? Beijing bets on diaspora loyalty to influence national policy, from trade deals to Taiwan stances.
What Can and Will Be Done in Australia: Escalation on the HorizonIf New York is a warning, Australia's vulnerabilities, its large Chinese diaspora (over 1.2 million), economic ties to China, and federal system, make it ripe for amplified tactics. We can expect:
Intensified Diaspora Mobilisation: With future elections, UFWD-linked groups will ramp up voter drives, as seen in the 2025 teal candidate push. Expect more "required" voting instructions and volunteer armies, targeting marginal seats in Sydney or Melbourne's Chinese-heavy suburbs.
Funding Loopholes Exploited: Despite bans, indirect funding via Australian-registered non-profits will mimic New York's model. Politicians may "steer" grants back to supportive groups, fostering dependency and loyalty.
Grooming Rising Stars: As Wong noted in the Times, the CCP plays the long bet. In Australia, this means targeting local councillors or state MPs who could ascend federally, using events with oaths and anthems to build networks.
Hybrid Coercion: Blending soft influence with cyber ops or economic pressure, as ASPI warns, to quash dissent and align policy with Beijing's interests, like softening AUKUS criticism.
Australia's response, foreign interference laws, ASIO vigilance, has curbed some overt actions, but as Turnbull admits, not all are caught. With U.S.-China rivalry heating up, expect bolder moves, especially if economic ties thaw, as war ramps up.
Wrapping Up: Defending Democracy's Soft UnderbellyThe CCP's tactics in New York aren't isolated; they're a global strategy, honed in places like Australia. By infiltrating community groups and politics, Beijing turns democratic freedoms into weapons. Australia, having faced this longer, offers lessons: Transparency registers help, but enforcement is key. As tensions rise, vigilance, without alienating diaspora communities, is crucial. After all, the real threat isn't the people, but the CCP party's playbook. Keep an eye on those "cultural" fundraisers, they might just be scripting the next election.