Jian Yang wanted to help the SIS with recruitment

Written By: - Date published: 10:31 am, December 21st, 2017 - 24 comments
Categories: China, Deep stuff, democracy under attack, Media, national, newspapers, same old national - Tags: ,

Matt Nippert has made further startling revelations about Jian Yang.

Yang is the National backbench MP who it was revealed just before the election lectured at an elite Chinese spy school before moving to New Zealand and who attracted the interest of our Security Intelligence Service.  Despite concerns he was for a while a member of Parliament’s Parliament’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade select committee.

He has dismissed the allegations as a smear campaign aimed at him just because he was Chinese.  He has refused to be interviewed on the issue ever since the election.

Then in November Nippert revealed problems with Yang’s New Zealand immigration application.

From the Herald:

The documents show Yang referred to his work and study history in China – 15 years in total from 1978 – as solely with “Luoyang University”.

It has subsequently been revealed Yang graduated with an undergraduate degree from military-linked institutions the People’s Liberation Army Air Force Engineering Academy, and later lectured at the elite spy school the Luoyang Foreign Languages Institute.

Yang appeared to confirm that the information in his application for residence was not, how you say, correct.

In a press conference after the report of his background broke, Yang said he had served as a civilian officer in the [People’s Liberation Army] and was required … not to name the institutions as a condition of being allowed to leave China.

He declined today to elaborate on who exactly had requested he kept the institutions vague.

He said last month he was not a spy, but conceded he was involved in training spies to assess intercepted communications.

As I said previously Yang told New Zealand Immigration that he worked in a different institution “as a condition of being allowed to leave China”.  One could imagine that if he had said that he taught in a military institution teaching Chinese spies alarm bells within New Zealand Immigration may have gone off.

Nippert’s latest revelation is that Yang lobbied ministers in a bid to overturn a national security block on a China-born job applicant taking up a sensitive position in the defence force.  From the Herald:

Months after first taking a seat in Parliament following the 2011 election, Yang took up the case of an aggrieved applicant for a New Zealand Defence Force job who had failed background checks conducted by the Security Intelligence Service.

Yang told the Herald he was merely acting on behalf of a constituent and had done nothing wrong. “I had simply sought answers on the constituents behalf through the appropriate channels, as is the responsibility of every Member of Parliament,” he said.

A February 2012 letter obtained under the Official Information Act written by then-Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman to the applicant, copied in Yang “who has approached my office on your behalf,” and noted Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson had also been lobbied.

And further issues have arisen over Yang’s CV.  His 1998 CV submitted to Auckland University made explicit reference to the “PLA University”.  His immigration and citizenship applications only referred to Luoyang University.  I wonder how he reconciled his statement that he was asked by the system to use his partnership universities with his disclosure to Auckland University.

And he is still rather reticent to talk about the issue.  Again from the Herald:

Yang declined to address questions about the different ways he described his background to different authorities. “I have spoken extensively on the matter and have nothing further to add,” he said.

Yan[g]’s sole comment on the matter was a September press conference where he said he was not a spy – only a lecturer and student – and he had not made any false declarations by only using generic descriptions of where he had studied or worked.

“When I left China I was asked by the system to use my partnership universities,” he said.

This latest revelation may be problematic for him.  The Minister of Immigration has rather strong powers in cases where he determines that information supplied was fraudulent, false, misleading or if any relevant information was concealed.  And

Well done to Matt Nippert for continuing to follow this story up.  I believe this is not the last that we have heard of this story.

24 comments on “Jian Yang wanted to help the SIS with recruitment ”

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  1. Draco T Bastard 1
    21 December 2017 at 11:14 am

    Copy/paste from TDB:

    Yang told the Herald he was merely acting on behalf of a constituent and had done nothing wrong. “I had simply sought answers on the constituents behalf through the appropriate channels, as is the responsibility of every Member of Parliament,” he said.

    I’ve just been informed that I didn’t get a job that I had applied for.

    According to this I should now go to my MP and have them advocate for me to get the job.

    Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works and certainly not what the MPs and ministers would think is their job.

    The more we hear of this guy the more he actually does sound like a Chinese plant.

  2. Philg 2
    21 December 2017 at 12:56 pm

    Nothing to hide nothing to fear, comes to mind Mr Yang. It’s so clear and transparent now. Not.

  3. OnceWasTim 3
    21 December 2017 at 12:58 pm

    Indeed – well done to Matt Nippert. There are broader issues that are problematic, and are increasingly problematic with INZ (and other entities) since they were brought under the aegis of Mssrs. Choice and Coleman’s ‘super Munstry, -intended to turn everything into a business – including immigration.
    Recently, MoBIE was criticised for the high number of ‘contractors’ used in the organisation. Responsible Ministers should be asking in which areas they have/are being used and why. MoBIE has had a history of fuckups and corporate style gluttony, beginning with its curved screen whilst under-resourccing key areas of its responsibilities.
    As legit immigration lawyers will tell you, once immigration applications hit middle/senior management, there are fuckups – and they appear to be open to lobbying and inconsistent application of rules.
    We’ve just had another fuckup with the demolition of a house that damaged a neighboouring property, trapping a wheelchair-bound women inside whilst there was a leaking gas main. – There were several attempts to contact Worksafe.
    We’ve had a senior manager of the Labour Inspectorate telling us there was a sufficient number of inspectors not a few weeks before the incoming government recognised the need for many more.

    I could go on (shoddy construction steel, etc., etc.,etc.)

    Just like MPI, (although now even more so), this is a Munstry, not a Ministry.
    Even when it was envisaged, Coleman and Choice recognised its purpose could be challenged – I’ve referred to their Cabinet paper before. I’m hoping that responsible Ministers have good bullshit detectors because its Snr. Management are good at bullshit – not unlike former Prime Ministers and used car salesmen full of their own self-importnce.
    I.t i.s a c.o.m.p.l.e.t.e f.u.c.k.up and there’s not much to justify its continued existence – other than restructuring is often difficult (even though it doesn’t HAVE to be costly).
    I have to say I was surprised that MoBIE didn’t come a little higher on the public service hitlist – i.e. in front of MPI.
    If ever there was a case of good coal-face public service employees working in spite of their leadership, rather than because of them – MoBIE is it.
    But then, all that is something that’s now widespread throughout – both in central government and at local level (such as – as we know – district health boards nd councils)

  4. One Anonymous Bloke 4
    21 December 2017 at 1:34 pm

    I’d like to see exactly what Jian Yang asked the Minister before leaping to any conclusions.

    Fairly amateurish way to introduce a mole, for that matter. Are we to believe that the People’s Liberation Army is so incompetent at providing back-stories?

    We should be bloody careful about making irrefutable allegations.

    • OnceWasTim 4.1
      21 December 2017 at 6:21 pm

      Doesn’t necessarily have to be ‘amateurish’. It may be that they underestimated NZ’s capabilities. Arrogance and the desire for power, prestige and influence comes in all shapes and sizes.
      Much as I think Kevin Rudd is a complete wanker, he does have some understanding of China’s place in the world.
      What we should be careful of is to lump all people of Chinese ethnicity in with those who have an expansionist purpose.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 4.1.1
        21 December 2017 at 6:29 pm

        The ‘enemy’ is incompetent and has underestimated us. M’kay.

        • McFlock 4.1.1.1
          21 December 2017 at 10:34 pm

          Not incompetent, just hubristic. Like the Israelis caught trying to get fake NZ passports. Incompetent was Mafart and Prieur returning the goddamn rental car.

    • Loop 4.2
      22 December 2017 at 8:47 am

      ” Are we to believe that the People’s Liberation Army is so incompetent at providing back-stories?”
      Or is it understood En Zed is for sale to the highest (or for that matter, any) bidder as john key has proven again and again

  5. Andre 5
    21 December 2017 at 2:23 pm

    Here’s Winnie on Yang:

    “Given how much the National Party are easing the tank to the Chinese interests, there’s a real chance that National’s Manchurian candidate, [Jian] Yang, will steal the leadership odds. I’ve got him up 2:1 to be the next leader of the National Party.”

    http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/12/winston-peters-predicts-the-next-leader-of-the-national-party.html

    • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1
      21 December 2017 at 2:35 pm

      Yang can probably relax, now that his alleged treachery is the subject of Parliamentary humour.

  6. WILD KATIPO 6
    21 December 2017 at 3:42 pm

    1960s James Bond Mania Vintage Film Clips – YouTube
    you tube▶ 2:06

  7. Ad 7
    21 December 2017 at 4:00 pm

    Send this traitor back.

  8. WILD KATIPO 8
    21 December 2017 at 6:56 pm

    Bond. James Bond. – YouTube
    james bond youtube▶ 0:06

  9. KJT 9
    21 December 2017 at 9:22 pm

    Having an ex Chinese spy trainer in our Parliament, under the spotlight of public scrutiny, is far less likely to damage New Zealand, than the behind the scenes influence of foreign business interests, especially US ones, and local greedies.

    Support of the National party by US “Libertarians: for example.

  10. Thinkerrr 10
    22 December 2017 at 7:20 am

    So, Osama bin Laden was not a terrorist – he only trained them…

    • corodale 10.1
      22 December 2017 at 8:16 am

      …errrr or …derrrr?
      Osama – Jedi Knight fallen to the dark side. WTC7 fallen by pure mind control. Then he erased all evidance from the net, but that was years ago. Jedi rebels have regained control of Kazakhstan.

  11. Anne 11
    22 December 2017 at 9:28 am

    Last month when the story hit the media, Yang’s Chinese supporters attempted to discredit Labour’s Raymond Huo on what were trumped-up charges against him. I understand Huo is now suing them for defamation and slander.

    If Yang is innocent of the charges made against him, then why does he not do the same thing?

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11945644

  12. R.P. Mcmurphy 12
    26 December 2017 at 9:16 pm

    how can he be an MP but refuse to talk. very strange.