China’s ‘useful fools’- Alarm at communists grows after New Zealand and EU actions

There has been alarm over leftwing New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden breaking ranks with the Five Eyes security partnership in refusing to join the UK, US, Australia and Canada in condemning the ending of democracy and arrest of Communist opponents in Hong Kong. Privately, there are also concerns about the European Union signing a deal with China this month.

In the US Joe Biden last week returned campaign donations from a former Democrat Senator Barbara Boxer who registered as an agent of the Chinese company Hikivision which was blacklisted in 2019 for its alleged involvement in China’s repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang Province.

A source close to the ISC pointed out that concerns had already been high following an investigation by the Sunday Express into the way Chinese state media was buying up academics from British universities to help with propaganda.

This previously included Professor Thom Brooks, the Dean of Durham University, an advisor to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, although he quit his role with China Global Television Network (CGTN) when he learnt about the links to the Chinese government.

“The committee has an investigation ongoing into the threat posed by China and part of that is the problem of useful fools,” the source noted.

“These are individuals, countries and international bodies who are attracted to Chinese money more than ideology but there is definitely an issue with mainstream parties of the left being open to working with China.”