Ex-Australian PM Tony Abbott Hopes Chinese People Will Be Free of ‘Communist Overlordship’

OTTAWA—Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he hopes that over time, the Chinese people will be free of the communist regime in China. “I think that the million or so Australians of Chinese background are over time going to be the agents of Australian influence in China rather than the other way around,” Mr. Abbott said at the Canada Strong and Free Network conference in Ottawa on April 12. “Because over time, we do have to hope that our brothers and sisters in China lose the yoke of communist overlordship.” Mr. Abbott’s talk was part of a panel at the conference centred on China’s interference activities. The issue has been in focus in Canada amid intelligence leaks in the media about Beijing’s extensive interference in Canada’s elections and other internal affairs....