Hacking Concerns: MPs Ordered to Shut Devices During Visit by Top CCP Official
An internal email urged MPs to shut down devices, disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and keep laptops offline while the delegation moved through Parliament House.
Politburo Standing Committee member Cai Qi (L) and Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, read speeches during the second plenary session of the National People's Congress in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on March 8, 2025. Greg Baker/ AFP via Getty Images
In an unprecedented move, Australian MPs and parliamentary staff have been told to switch off their phones or power down devices during a visit by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) third highest ranking leader amid hacking concerns.
An internal email from the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) set out strict instructions ahead of the Nov. 24 visit by Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
Naziya Alvi Rahman is a Canberra-based journalist who covers political issues in Australia. She can be reached at [email protected].
