Chau Chak Wing

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Chau Chak Wing
Born1949 (age 72–73)
Guangdong, China
NationalityChinese-Australian
Other names
OccupationReal estate businessman
TitleChairman, Kingold Group

Chau Chak-wing (simplified Chinese: 周泽荣; traditional Chinese: 周澤榮; pinyin: Zhōu Zéróng; Sidney Lau: Jau1 Jaak6-wing4; born 1949),[1] is a Chinese-Australian property developer known for his Kingold Group, business based in Guangzhou, People's Republic of China (PRC).[2] He is a citizen of Australia, having emigrated there from Hong Kong.[3]

Early life[]

Chau was born in Guangdong Province, PRC, of Shantou[4] heritage,[5] but emigrated to Hong Kong in the 1970s. After further emigrating to Australia in the 1980s, he returned to live in Guangdong in 1988.[4]

Career[]

In the early 1990's, Chau founded the Kingold Group. The group's main interests are property, finance, education, hospitality, healthcare and media.[4]

In 2001, Chau joint-ventured with the Guangzhou, PRC, provincial government's Yangcheng Evening News to commence publishing the New Express Daily there.[6]

In 2004, Chau established the pro-Beijing The Australian New Express Daily (Chinese: 澳洲新快报), a simplified character Chinese-language newspaper published in Australia under the management of his daughter Winky Chow, a former ethnic policy affairs adviser to New South Wales State Premier Bob Carr.[7] Carr presided over its official launch.[6] The newspaper has engaged directly in promotion of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) interests in Australia.[8]

Personal life[]

Net worth[]

Year Financial Review
Rich List 		Forbes
China Rich List
Rank Net worth (A$) Rank Net worth (US$)
2017[9][10] $1.56 billion
2018[11][12] 45 $1.63 billion Increase 378 $0.90 billion Decrease
2019[13][14] 58 Decrease $1.55 billion Decrease n/a not listed
2020[15] 15 Increase $4.60 billion Increase n/a not listed
2021[16] 20 Decrease $4.57 billion Decrease
Legend
Icon Description
Steady Has not changed from the previous year
Increase Has increased from the previous year
Decrease Has decreased from the previous year

Philanthropy[]

The Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney

In May 2009, Chau, then still domiciled in Guangzhou, donated CN¥3 million to a Chinese Public Security Bureau training centre in order that society "be well managed".[6]

In 2010, Chau contributed A$20 million, in instalments over ten years, towards the A$150 million construction cost of the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building, part of the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), together with an ancillary A$5 million scholarship fund.[17][18] In 2015, another A$15 million was contributed for the construction of the at the University of Sydney.[19] The Dr Chau Chak Wing Building was completed in 2013, and the museum opened in 2020.[20]

In 2015, Chau donated A$60,000 to the Australian War Memorial for the Anzac Diversity Education Program. He donated an additional A$500,000 for the creation of the Kingold Education and Media Centre.[21]

In the four years from 2014 to 2018, Chau donated approximately A$4 million to the two major Australian political parties.[22]

In November 2019, Chau donated A$500,000 to Soldier On, an Australian organization dedicated to supporting veterans and their families, and has pledged additional donations.[23]

Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association[]

Chau is the Founder and Co-Patron of the Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association (ACFEA) along with Major-General Michael Jeffery (AC, CVO, MC), the former Governor-General of Australia.[24] Based in New South Wales, the institution was founded in September 2005.[25]

Chau Chak Wing Foundation[]

In 2019, Chau established the Chau Chak Wing Foundation.[26]

Awards[]

Chau received an honorary doctorate from Keuka College, New York, United States.[6]

He was awarded another honorary doctorate by UTS in 2014, shortly after completion of the UTS building bearing his name.[4]

Court investigations and outcomes[]

FBI allegations[]

Chau was named in a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probe in the case of bribery of the former president of the United Nations General Assembly, John Ashe. In 2013, the FBI alleged Sheri Yan, an Australian-Chinese suspected by Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) of Chinese intelligence activity, used A$200,000 of Chau’s money to bribe John Ashe to attend a conference held at Chau’s Imperial Springs resort in China.[27][28] Yan pleaded guilty to bribery charges and served a 20 month prison sentence.[29] Chau was never charged or accused of wrongdoing.[30] Chau has also had documented ties to the CCP's United Front Work Department since at least 2007.[31]

Subsequent allegations[]

The Daily Telegraph & News Life Media[]

In 2016, Chau brought defamation proceedings against Nationwide News Pty Ltd, the publisher of The Daily Telegraph and its sister company News Life Media Pty Ltd in the Federal Court of Australia, claiming that articles published in 2015 conveyed imputations that he himself had “bribed Mr. John Ashe”. The proceedings were settled with Nationwide and News Life agreeing to pay Chau A$65,000 and publishing an apology on December 23, 2016.[32]

The Sydney Morning Herald & Fairfax Media[]

In February 2019, he obtained judgment in an action against Fairfax Media in New South Wales, establishing he had been defamed in The Sydney Morning Herald in a 2015 article about the affair.[33] Fairfax Media said it would appeal.[34] The appeal was rejected by the Federal Court in March 2020.[35] Chau was awarded A$280,000 in damages, which he donated to a number of charities supporting Australian veterans and their families.[36]

Australian Broadcasting Corporation & Fairfax Media[]

A joint Four Corners and Fairfax Media investigation claimed that Chau, among others, was the subject of a briefing by ASIO warning of Chinese government influence over the Australian political system.[37] In a follow-up article in The Australian, Chau said that claims he was an agent of Chinese soft power were "irrational". He said successive governments since the Howard era had sought his help in promoting Australian interests in China, including being asked to lobby for Australia to win a A$150 billion LNG deal with China in 2001: "In relation to Australian companies, if Australian businesses needed my assistance for development in China, I have been quietly helping them ... this has been recognised by the Australian government. I have promoted trade, Australia tourism, business and education without seeking personal gain or any favour in return. In fact it has been more a case of exercising Australian soft power in China."[38] Chau sued for defamation over the news story. In February 2021 the Federal Court found in favour of Chau, and awarded him $590,000 in damages. The ABC was also prohibited from republishing some sections of the Four Corners episode.[39]

References[]

  1. ^ "Archived copy" 周泽荣详细资料. Phoenix Television. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2017.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ "The billionaire who bought Australia's most expensive home". Financial Review. 2015-08-07. Archived from the original on 2017-08-17. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
  3. ^ "Chinese-Australian billionaire says Fairfax story made him out to be a 'criminal'". The Guardian. 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2021-09-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ a b c d "Dr Chau Chak Wing". UTS. 2014. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  5. ^ Christensen, John Garnaut, Deborah Snow and Nic (2009-07-03). "Cool, calm and connected". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2019-09-13.
  6. ^ a b c d Garnaut, John; Snow, Deborah; Christensen, Nic (4 July 2009). "Behind the mysterious Dr Chau". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  7. ^ Han, Misa (13 June 2018). "Businessman Chau Chak Wing tried to build 'web of patronage'". Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  8. ^ Snow, Deborah (8 August 2009). "Tycoon denies crusade to 'dye Australia red'". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  9. ^ Stensholt, John, ed. (25 May 2017). "Financial Review Rich List 2017". The Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  10. ^ Mayne, Stephen (26 May 2017). "Mayne's take: The top 25 Australian billionaires, as claimed by Fairfax". Crikey. Private Media. Archived from the original on 10 October 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  11. ^ Stensholt, John, ed. (25 May 2018). "2018 AFR Rich List: Who are Australia's richest people?". The Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 26 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  12. ^ "#378 Chau Chak Wing". Forbes Asia. 24 October 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  13. ^ Bailey, Michael (30 May 2019). "Australia's 200 richest people revealed". The Australian Financial Review. Nine Publishing. Archived from the original on 3 September 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  14. ^ "2019 Australia's 50 Richest". Forbes Asia. January 2019. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  15. ^ Bailey, Michael; Sprague, Julie-anne (30 October 2020). "The full list: Australia's wealthiest 200 revealed". The Australian Financial Review. Nine Publishing. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  16. ^ Bailey, Michael; Sprague, Julie-anne (27 May 2021). "The 200 richest people in Australia revealed". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  17. ^ "UTS receives $25 million gift". Probono Australia. 22 June 2010. Archived from the original on 28 June 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  18. ^ "Gehry's vision gets NSW government approval". University of Technology. 20 Mar 2012. Archived from the original on 27 November 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  19. ^ "$15 million donation to create new University of Sydney landmark museum". The University of Sydney. Archived from the original on 2016-11-17. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
  20. ^ Xiao, Alison (24 May 2018). "University stands by donor amidst UN bribing scandal". Honi Soit. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  21. ^ Whyte, Sally (24 May 2018). "Chau Chak Wing donated more than $500,000 to War Memorial". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  22. ^ Power, John (30 September 2018). "Meet the Chinese businessmen making waves in Australia". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  23. ^ Nohra, Danielle (11 November 2019). "Chinese developer stumps up for Soldier On".
  24. ^ "The Rotator - April 2019 edition" (PDF). www.absc.online. Australian Business Summit Council.
  25. ^ "About Us - Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association". www.acfea.org.au.
  26. ^ "About - Chau Chak Wing Foundation".
  27. ^ "ASIO warns political parties over foreign donations". ABC Name. ABC News. 2017-06-05. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  28. ^ "Chau v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (No 3) [2021] FCA 44 (2 February 2021)". Federal Court of Australia. p. Section 20.
  29. ^ Needham, Kirsty (14 April 2019). "Woman accused of being Chinese influence agent tells her story for the first time".
  30. ^ "Chau v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (No 3) [2021] FCA 44 (2 February 2021)". Federal Court of Australia. p. Section 64 and 145.
  31. ^ Groot, Gerry (June 19, 2018). "Understanding the Role of Chambers of Commerce and Industry Associations in United Front Work". Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on September 11, 2019. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
  32. ^ "Chau v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (No 3) [2021] FCA 44 (2 February 2021)". Federal Court of Australia.
  33. ^ Bachelard, Michael (October 7, 2017). "One of Australia's biggest political donors has secret Beijing ties, court papers allege". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on October 19, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  34. ^ McGowan, Michael (22 February 2019). "Chau Chak Wing wins defamation case against Sydney Morning Herald". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  35. ^ Australian Associated Press (19 March 2020). "Chau Chak Wing defamation finding stands". 9 News. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  36. ^ Greenbank, Amy; Greene, Andrew (13 December 2019). "Chinese-born billionaire Chau Chak Wing donating millions to Australian veterans".
  37. ^ "ASIO investigation targets Communist Party links to Australian political system". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2017-06-05. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  38. ^ "Chinese billionaire hits back at ASIO: I'm not a communist agent". The Australian. 2017-06-27. Archived from the original on 2021-05-01. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
  39. ^ Australian Associated Press (2 February 2021). "Chau Chak Wing awarded $590,000 in defamation case over ABC Four Corners episode". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
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