The AFP raided political staffer John Zhang’s Sydney home earlier this year as part of an investigation into Chinese Communist Party influence in Australian affairs.

Federal police searched and seized material from Mr Zhang’s Sydney home, business premises, and the parliamentary office of his employer, NSW state Labor politician Shaoquett Moselmane on June 26.
Mr Moselmane, who has been suspended from the NSW Labor party following the raids, has previously said he had not done anything wrong and was not a suspect.
The court documents said Mr Zhang was an Australian citizen who migrated from China in 1989 and had been employed part-time by Mr Moselmane since 2018.
According to details of the search warrants described in the court documents, Mr Zhang was under investigation for allegedly concealing from Mr Moselmane that he was acting on behalf of, or in collaboration with, the “Chinese State and party apparatus including the Ministry of State Security and the United Front Work Department”.
The documents said it was alleged Mr Zhang was suspected of acting on behalf of the “Chinese state and Party apparatus” in a private social media chat group with Mr Moselmane, to advance the policy goals of the Chinese government.
He is alleged to have encouraged Mr Moselmane to advocate for “Chinese state interests”, they said.
This conduct is alleged to be unlawful because it was covert and sought to influence an Australian political process, the documents said.
Mr Zhang’s lawyers argue in the High Court application that the foreign interference law breaches Australia’s constitution because it restricts freedom of political communication and attempts to influence political decisions.
Offences under the foreign interference law can attract jail terms of up to 15 years.
An Australian Federal Police spokesman wouldn’t comment further on the case, saying “it is an ongoing investigation”.
Reuters