Aussies told China about me, says defector

SYDNEY - The Chinese diplomat seeking asylum in Sydney says Australian officials alerted his bosses when he defected and urged him to return to the city's Chinese consulate, despite his claims that he was in grave danger.

Chen Yonglin abandoned his post 12 days ago, saying he feared persecution if he returned to China because of his democratic beliefs.

He is now in hiding with his wife and 6-year-old daughter.

Mr Chen is reported to have gone to the Department of Immigration offices in Sydney on May 26 to ask for asylum but his request to meet the New South Wales state director, Jim Collaghan, was refused.

Australian officials alerted the Chinese Embassy, and the consulate then phoned Mr Chen on his mobile, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Mr Chen immediately took his wife, Jin Ping, and daughter, Chen Fangong, into hiding.

Yesterday, a Chinese democracy activist said Mr Chen was unstable, highly stressed and "very desperate".

Chin Jin, spokesman for the Foundation for a Democratic China, said Mr Chen had received advice from a lawyer arranged by the Australian Greens.

"His condition is not stable, he is very nervous and stressful," Mr Chin told reporters.

Mr Chen said his job was to monitor the Falun Gong movement, democracy advocates and people who support the separation of Tibet, Taiwan and East Turkistan from China.

He claimed China has up to 1000 spies in Australia.

The Chinese Ambassador to Australia, Madame Fu Ying, said Mr Chen would not be punished if he returned to China, despite his actions. "I don't think there is any reason China would punish him," she said.

Madame Fu said the claims of a spy ring were untrue and Mr Chen was making the comments to boost his case to stay in Australia.

"I stand to be enlightened by anyone who has knowledge - whoever has the names [of spies] I would like to know," Madame Fu said.

A leading academic said Australia would face heavy political and economic pressure from China not to grant Mr Chen asylum.

Professor Hugh White of the Australian National University said growing trade relations with China were likely to weigh on the Government's mind in deciding whether to allow Mr Chen to stay.

Professor White said the situation put the Government in a tough diplomatic position.

"Obviously the concerns in the Australian community about the human rights of this individual are significant and valid," he told ABC Radio.

"On the other hand, China will want this guy back and would tend to view a decision by this Government to grant him political asylum or even refugee status ... as a fairly adversarial thing to do.

"And I think that would be something that the Chinese would register and the Chinese system doesn't forgive those things lightly."

Professor White said the pressure would be even greater if Mr Chen had access to secret Chinese Government documents - which Mr Chen claims he did have.

"The Chinese Government will want to make sure that classified information isn't passed on."

- AAP