How Australia’s political rivals are seeking support through China’s online platforms

Australian opposition candidates like Grange Chung and Scott Yung are actively targeting Chinese Australian voters on social media platforms like WeChat to sway their votes in marginal seats with significant Chinese populations, such as Reid and Bennelong. This comes after these groups shifted their support away from the conservative Liberal-National coalition during the last election. Although they make up only 5.5% of Australia’s population, Chinese Australians’ votes have been crucial to Labor’s win in recent years. Additionally, candidates are producing content with Mandarin subtitles and engaging with Chinese celebrities to connect with their audience. The Chinese Australian community’s preferences may now be more independent and politically mature, seeking better representation for their local communities. Despite these efforts, the community feels that their votes are valued only for their political impact and criticizes the normalized suspicion they face in the Australian political environment.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqx4vr5nqr8o