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{{Short description|Chinese diplomat}}
{{family name hatnote|Chen|lang=Chinese}}
[[File:Chen Yonglin.jpg|200px|thumb|Chen Yonglin]]
'''Chen Yonglin''' ({{zh|t=陳用林|s=陈用林}}) is a former [[People's Republic of China|Chinese]] diplomat who sparked fears of a diplomatic incident through his defection to [[Australia]] in the summer of 2005. The episode highlighted the tensions faced by China's trade partners when concerns arise from that nation's [[Human rights in the People's Republic of China|human rights record]]. The episode was compared to the [[Petrov Affair]] by such observers as Shadow Minister for Immigration [[Laurie Ferguson]] and trade unionist [[Bill Shorten]].
==Background==
{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2024}}
Chen had been a university student in [[Beijing]] during the pro-democracy movement that ultimately led to the [[1989 Tiananmen Square protests
Factors contributing to the defection, according to Chen, are the torture and death of his father during the [[Cultural Revolution]], his witness of the Tiananmen Massacre
==Defection and allegations==
On 26 May 2005, Chen walked out of the consulate with his wife and daughter. On that day he reportedly met an officer from the [[Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (Australia)|Department of Immigration]] who contacted the Chinese consulate to verify Chen's identity. A [[Australian Senate|Senate]] inquiry later criticized the government for this action, citing Chen's stated concern that such contact would put his life in danger.<ref>{{cite
On 31 May he met with a representative from the [[Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)|Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade]]. Chen has stated that he was told at this meeting that his request for political asylum had been rejected, but that he could apply for a protection visa. The story broke to the international media on 3 June, when Chen contacted ''[[The Australian]]'' newspaper, sparking fears of a serious diplomatic incident between the two nations. [[Anne Plunkett]] the director of protocol at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade met with Chen, who alleges that she repeatedly urged him not to defect.<ref name=Topsfield>{{cite news|last1=Topsfield|first1=Jewel|title=Chinese diplomat was urged not to defect|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/chinese-diplomat-was-urged-not-to-defect/2005/07/26/1122143849438.html|accessdate=5 May 2015|publisher=The Age|date=27 July 2005}}</ref>▼
▲On 31 May he met with a representative from the [[Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)|Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade]]. Chen has stated that he was told at this meeting that his request for political asylum had been rejected, but that he could apply for a protection visa. The story broke to the international media on 3 June, when Chen contacted ''[[The Australian]]'' newspaper, sparking fears of a serious diplomatic incident between the two nations.
On 4 June, though he allegedly feared being kidnapped, Chen came out of hiding to address a rally commemorating the 16th anniversary of the
After the June 4th rally, Chen once again went into hiding, having claimed that he was under constant surveillance and in fear of his life. On 5 June, the Chinese embassy released a statement claiming that Chen was due to return home and had invented allegations of wrongdoing in the hope that he would be allowed to stay. The statement was intended to alleviate fears for Chen's safety if he returned to China.{{cn|date=July 2024}}
==Support, opposition, and ultimate success==
On 7 June Chen's claims of a thousand-strong spy network were supported by [[Hao Fengjun]], a former police officer with the [[6-10 Office]], a special security force established to eradicate [[Falun Gong]] by whatever means they deem necessary. The Chinese government responded by claiming that documents seized from Hao's home in China had shown that he was a low-level policeman suspected of corruption. Hao's lawyer, [[Bernard
On 7 July, a Chinese defector in [[Canada]] using the name [[Han Guangsheng]] emerged to support Chen and Hao's spying allegations. During his interview on the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] show ''[[Lateline]]'', Han explained "I do know that the Communist Party of China sent people to collect intelligence information, including Chinese Embassy and Consulate staff. Some of the reporters coming from state Chinese media and visiting scholars are also given special spying tasks to carry out." The fifty-two-year-old defector has been denied political asylum and ruled ineligible to remain in Canada, because the federal Immigration and Refugee Board found him a "willing accomplice" in prior human rights abuses.<ref>{{cite
China's ambassador in [[Canberra]], [[Fu Ying]], condemned Chen for "attacking his motherland" with "allegations and noise" for what she claimed was the sole purpose of living in a wealthier country. She warned that many more would follow Chen, if he was allowed to relocate to Australia.<ref>{{cite
On 8 July, Chen Yonglin, his wife, and his 6-year-old daughter were granted permanent protection visas by the Immigration Department, despite the opposition of the Chinese government.{{cn|date=July 2024}}
==Post-visa statements and activities==
Following the granting of protection visas to Chen and his family, he has met with Australian intelligence officials to discuss his earlier claims of a thousand-strong Chinese spy network. On 21 July Chen testified before the [[United States House of Representatives]] Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations as part of a panel discussing "Falun Gong and China's Continuing War on Human Rights." Here Chen broadened his earlier charges, stating: "I am aware there are over 1,000 Chinese secret agents and informants in Australia, and the number in the United States should not be less." He also testified that "The United States and Australia are considered by the CPC as the base of the Falun Gong overseas" and that "Chinese diplomats are required to denounce the Falun Gong and to distribute anti-Falun Gong materials whenever it is possible."<ref>{{cite
On 31 July, Chen attended a public seminar hosted by the Victorian Federation of Chinese Associations without invitation. There he defended and repeated his earlier spying allegations, and went on to claim that the VFCA was "controlled by the Chinese Consulate in Melbourne". The vice president of the federation, Sheng Wang, denied these claims and accused Chen of damaging the reputation of all Chinese Australians as well as undermining relations between China and Australia.<ref>{{cite
On 5 August, Chen was invited to a seminar at the [[University of Melbourne]].<ref>{{cite web
On 16 August, Chen accused the Chinese government of sending a three-member assassination squad into Australia, claiming he was alerted to their presence by a close friend in the foreign ministry. Chen told ABC TV, "they want to shut me up and ... they want to send a warning example to others who want to defect."<ref>{{cite
In late September, Chen contended that the man in charge of China's spy network continued to operate out of the consulate-general in Sydney. As reported by ''[[The Bulletin (Australian periodical)|The Bulletin]]'', this individual works independently of the consulate, complete with his own budget. Chen did not name this alleged spymaster.<ref>{{cite
In October and November, Chen addressed the [[European Parliament]], the [[Flemish Parliament]] of [[Belgium]], and the [[British Parliament]] on the issue of humans rights in China. The Chinese Mission at the European Parliament sent three diplomats and three official media reporters to hear Chen's testimony at the European Parliament. While Chen was addressing to the British [[All
On 30 March 2006, Chen joined more than 4000 signatories in an open letter to [[Australian Prime Minister]] [[John Howard]] to question [[Premier of the People's Republic of China|Premier]] [[Wen Jiabao]] regarding the persecution against human rights lawyers in China by the Chinese Authorities and concern about allegations of [[Falun Gong and Live Organ Harvesting|live organ harvesting]] at the [[Shenyang]] Thrombosis Hospital
== References ==
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==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060905195131/http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060307234427/http://www.news.com.au/story/0
*[http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Secret-documents-exchanged-for-asylum/2005/06/08/1118123884071.html 'Secret documents exchanged' for asylum, Sydney Morning Herald, June 8, 2005]
*[http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/06/08/1118123901298.htm Hao Fengjun's claims]
*[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/congress/2005_hr/050721_2-transcript.pdf Additional testimony before the U.S. Congress (.pdf format)]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, Yonglin}}
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[[Category:People from Ningbo]]
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