A Welcome " Defector " !

The problem with " democracies" is we cherish things like " freedom of speech " and a free press that  are exactly the tools a foreign power needs when it seeks to change public thinking.  It is public forums like Facebook  that open us to manipulation when most of the matter openly discussed is comment introduced by agents of a foreign power.

All the great powers employ information gathering networks built around their diplomatic missions with the task of gathering both commercial secrets and the strength of  military services.  We have similar organizations sharing information with friendly countries and just what degree of penetration is achieved is kept a national secret.

Now a spy sent to Australia undercover by the Communist Chinese government in Beijing has defected and we are learning of the vast spy network infiltrating this country.  Wang Liqiang has thrown himself on the mercy of the Australian government and is willing to reveal all in exchange for protection.   He has made it quite clear that Chinese agents are willing to commit both kidnapping and murder in this country to protect their information sources.

We are well aware that agents of Russia's GRB military intelligence have no scruples against the murder of dissidents who have fled to Britain, often years after they have settled in that country.  The use of highly radioactive " Polarium " often features in such attacks because it allows the perpetrators to flee the country before the symptoms appear.

The enigma of a Chinese Communist state employing a Capitalist trading system has created many Chinese billionaires and many choose to live outside China.  This is the vital conduit their masters in Beijing use to distribute money to buy influence.  It has been obvious that Chinese money has been skilfully employed to try and direct the outcome of both state and Federal elections in Australia.

Mr Wang is a valuable asset and we should guard him carefully.  There is no doubt that China would like to silence him and preserve the secrecy surrounding their spy network in Australia and to keep him safe we will needs to provide both a new identity and undercover work that will merge him with the Asian content of this country.  That should be information restricted to the highest level of our security services.

We have a flash point to Australia's north with China claiming sovereignty of the South China sea and it looks like China is trying to secure a military foothold in various countries scattered about the south Pacific ocean. We are a continent with a small population by world standards and where military power will be concentrated decades from now is an open question.

The security of Australia has always rested in our alliances with other countries.  It seems the fulcrum of  power is again shifting and it is important that we carefully preserve our independence from whatever new power blocks emerge.  We can only do that by neutralising the spy networks within working to dictate how we think - and how we vote.

Mr Wang will be a valuable source of such information  !