Concerns Over Australian Law Firms Providing Advice to Beijing-Linked Entities

Cyber expert Robert Potter says some firms are handling sensitive government information on the same server as Chinese clients.

A surveillance camera points at a terrace of a shopping mall overlooking the skyline of the Central Business District on a polluted day in Beijing, China, on Nov. 5, 2021. Thomas Peter/Reuters

Australian law firms are being sought out by state-owned Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-linked enterprises for legal counsel on ownership of critical Australian infrastructure.

The new report from cybersecurity firm, Internet 2.0, warned some firms were extending their role beyond legal services, including endorsements for Beijing’s contentious Belt and Road Initiative programs, as well as the semiconductor industry.