Gladys Liu

In July 2019 Liu backed anti-government protesters in her birthplace of Hong Kong, lauding their “passion and commitment to democracy”. She told The Australian she firmly endorsed the protest movement, and its aims. “As a proud Hong Kong-born Australian, my position has been clear,” Ms Liu said. “The significant number of people in Hong Kong who have taken to the streets to voice their concerns demonstrates to the world the kind of passion and commitment to democracy that the people of Hong Kong hold.”[13]

In September 2019 it was reported that members of Liu's Liberal Party branch had called to relax foreign investment laws related to China at the 2017 Victorian Liberal Party Conference.[14][15]

In May of 2020 Liu penned an op-ed for The Age in which she supported the Coalition Government's call for an independent inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. She wrote: "We cannot let something like this happen again. The communist government of China, the World Health Organisation and governments around the world need to be accountable for the decisions made during this crisis." She also stressed that Chinese-Australians ought not to be the victims of scapegoating, and noted that the Chinese-Australian community had responded early and compassionately after the outbreak, following isolation protocols and donating to hospitals and non-profit organisations.[16]

In a separate interview with The Age also published in May 2020 Liu criticised Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and the Labor Party for their 2018 Memorandum of Understanding with China, which nominally signed up the state as part of the Belt and Road initiative. Citing its general "lack of transparency", she told the newspaper: "Premier Andrews didn't talk to the federal government, so we didn't know about it ... The most important thing is, what are Victorians, what are Australians getting out of it? How many jobs have the projects been able to provide? What are these companies getting these projects? Have [the projects] been put up for public tender? Do they pay Australian tax? We don't know. If there is a benefit, then show us."[6]

In November 2020 Liu joined with several other Australian MPs in condemning the disqualification by China of four members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council. Liu told The Sydney Morning Herald she was saddened by the move as it meant "the democracy that I enjoyed is disappearing".[17]

In 2019, media reports linked Liu to an external influence organization called the World Trade United Foundation, which has ties to the United Front Work Department, which manages interest groups in support of the Chinese Communist Party.[18] Many of the World Trade United Foundation's members are also members of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. In response to the reports, Liu claims to have left the World Trade United Foundation in 2016.[3][4] Liu was also reported to have been a member of two other front organisations from 2003 to 2015 that were both later rolled into the United Front Work Department.[19][20][21] Liu responded that she could not recall if she had been a member of the department over the 12-year period.[22]

It has also been reported that in 2018 the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) had vetted certain guests at a "meet and greet" organised by Liu, and suggested that then-PM Malcolm Turnbull not attend it.[23]

In November 2019, media reports emerged that Liu had connections to an alleged Chinese spy, Nick Zhao – based on two images showing Zhao sitting next to Liu at a meeting for the Eastern Multicultural Branch of the Victorian Liberal Party on January 26, 2016 in Liu's former home.[24] Zhao claimed that he had been offered over $1 million by an unnamed Chinese businessman to infiltrate the Australian Government by running for the seat of Chisholm. Zhao reported the alleged cultivation to ASIO.[24] Liu reported that she "had no recollection" of meeting Zhao.[24]

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has expressed his support for Liu and stated that criticism of the MP was racially motivated. The Morrison dubbed the attacks on Liu a "smear" campaign with a "grubby undertone". [25][26] Morrison refused to comment on whether Australian intelligence agencies have previously investigated Liu.[27]

At the 2017 Victorian Liberal Party conference, the party's Eastern Multicultural Branch, of which Liu was president, proposed a motion that would make foreign investment in agribusiness and agricultural land permissible without prior approval of the Foreign Investment Review Board.[14]

Liu was reported to have failed to declare a $39,675 AUD donation to the Victorian Liberal Party in 2015–2016.[28][22]

It was alleged by Labor Senator Penny Wong that Liu promised to write references letters for foreign students' residency applications if they volunteered on her campaign.[29]

In December 2019, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Liu assisted in securing meetings with federal politicians for the Australian subsidiary of Brighsun, a Chinese-controlled energy group. Brigshun was later implicated in a drug money laundering probe conducted by the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.[30]

In January 2021, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that ASIO was investigating a donor with ties to Liu over foreign interference risks.[31]