Australian Chinese spied on

Michael Li refused to spy on the Falun Gong movement in Sydney and now believes he is being watched by Chinese authorities. Courtesy ABC News.
When Michael Li said no to spying on the Falun Gong movement in Sydney he had no idea of the consequences that would follow.
In the last two years, the businessman, who has lived in Australia for 15 years, has had his furniture factory near Guangzhou shut down, his brother overseeing the Chinese operations has been arrested, and he believes his movements are routinely monitored.
In June this year he made complaint to Gordon police after his elderly father came face to face with a man of  Asian appearance in their Gordon home at 4am.
Michael Li, a member of Falun Gong and an Australia citizen, claims he is being spied on by the Chinese.
Michael Li, a member of Falun Gong and an Australia citizen, claims he is being spied on by the Chinese. Photo: Wolter Peeters
Mr Li did not see the man himself but heard his father ask the man: "Isn't it rather early to be here?" before the man ran out the back door, leaving it open.
Nothing was taken from the house, fuelling Mr Li's suspicion that the person was spying on his activities. His police complaint has not led to any arrests.
On Four Corners on Monday, the Australian Federal police confirmed in a statement that they were aware of Chinese operatives travelling to Australia without informing Australian officials.
A year ago Fairfax Media reported that  Chinese students have been recruited to spy on fellow students at Australia's top universities.
In April this year Fairfax media reported that Chinese police had quietly travelled to the eastern suburbs of Melbourne to "persuade" a Chinese-born tour bus driver, Dong Feng, aged 49, to return and face bribery charges in China.
The approach to Mr Dong was believed to be part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's 'Operation Fox Hunt' aimed at repatriating corrupt officials and seizing their hidden assets overseas. A dozen suspects have been identified as having fled to Australia.
Mr Li says the first approaches to him from the Chinese authorities came in 2000 soon after he returned to China from a trip to Europe. He had become a Falun Gong practitioner two years earlier as a way of dealing with an illness.
Falun Gong is a meditation movement that became so popular in China in the 1990s that Chinese authorities banned it as a cult.
Members of the group can often be seen in Sydney protesting against the persecution they say their members endure in China, including particularly gory allegations that members are regularly killed for the organ transplant trade in China.
Mr Li says he was approached by three or four people in his office in China who suggested that he should start reporting back on  Falun Gong practitioners in Australia where he had recently set up business.
"I am an upstanding person, " said Mr Li. "I come from a red family", explaining that his father had been in the army and he had been in China's youth league.
"I had even applied to join the Communist party when I was working for a government company."
By 2004 Mr Li had taken out Australian citizenship and his furniture business was growing. He had the factory in Guangzhou and contracts with major retailers in Australia.
But his lack of co-operation had been noted. In 2014, he says his brother, Richard who was helping with the business in China was arrested on tax charges relating to "falsifying VAT invoices". Mr Li says around 30 of his suppliers were contacted and told that it was "a political case" and they should co-operate by providing documents.
Mr Li says he is now too worried to travel to China.
His parents, who were here for a year, are shortly due to return and he fears for their safety.
The Chinese Embassy in Australia was approached for comment but did not respond.