A joint investigation by a team of journalists from 4 Corners and Fairfax Media on June 6, 2017, claimed to have exposed a concerted campaign by the Chinese government and its proxies to infiltrate the Australian political process to promote its own interests. The targets include Australian universities, local student and community groups, the Chinese language media, and some of Australia's leading politicians. This investigation claims that business leaders allied to Beijing are using millions in political donations to the major parties to buy access and influence, and in some cases to push policies that may be contrary to Australia's national interests.

Nick McKenzie, a reporter and one of the investigators, said that in the early hours of a cold morning in October 2015, a team of Australian counter espionage officers broke into a Canberra flat. Their target was a Chinese born woman, Sheri Yan, or Yan Shiwei, an Australian-Chinese businesswoman married to a former high ranking Australian intelligence official. Her father was a PLA officer. ASIO suspects the woman is involved in spying for the Chinese Government. Yan's husband, Roger Uren, was until 2001 Assistant Secretary at Australia's Office of National Assessments, the agency which provides secret intelligence briefings to the Prime Minister. During the raid, ASIO seized computers and documents and discovered classified Australian government files on the work of Chinese intelligence. Her contacts included high flying businessmen and Australia's former New York consul general Phil Scanlan. She was also close to the President of the United Nations General Assembly, John Ashe.  Sheri Yan's arrest stunned her associates, including former Australian ambassador Geoff Raby. ASIO singled out two billionaire donors with especially close ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Sheri Yan bribed the President of the UN General Assembly John Ashe US$ 200,000/- to speak at the resort, at a conference hosted by Dr Chau Chak Wing.The first was property developer Dr Chau Chak Wing, an Australian citizen and a man who keeps a low profile except when it comes to his big donations.Dr Chau's extraordinary generosity gave him access to Australia's political elite. Dr Chau donated $20 million dollars to build a Frank Gehry designed building at the University of Technology Sydney, which was opened by the Governor General in 2015. At the unveiling of the Dr Chau Chak Wing building, the billionaire politely posed with the famous architect. Not content with having a building named after him, Dr Chau splashed $70 million dollars on Australia's most expensive home in 2015. He has donated more than $4 million to the major parties over the past decade. Back in China, Dr Chau Chak Wing was a member of the Chinese Communist Party's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). This group carries out the work of the Party's United Front Work Department.  The other Chinese billionaire who has come to the notice of ASIO is Huang Xiangmo. Huang Xiangmo's rise is described as a classic rags to riches story -- from a poor rural family he built his billion-dollar fortune as a property developer in provincial China. Huang Xiangmo arrived in Australia in 2011. He and his property development firm Yuhu, began donating millions of dollars to health and education initiatives, earning the praise of politicians from both parties. On getting to know Tony Abbott, Huang Xiangmo gave US$770,000 to the Liberals before the 2013 election, of which a big chunk went to Julie Bishop's home state of Western Australia. He also gave US$100,000/- to Trade Minister Andrew Robb as Robb signed off on the China Australia Free Trade deal. US$1.8 million went towards an Australia China Research Institute which had Huang Xiangmo as Chairman and former Foreign Minister Bob Carr as Director. Huang Xiangmo is also President of the Australian Council for the Promotion of the Peaceful Reunification of China which supports Beijing's territorial claims over Taiwan, Hong Kong and the South China Sea.