Australia Lawmaker Quits Labor Party Role Over China Remarks
- Dastyari told to resign Senate role by Labor leader Shorten
- Recording shows Dastyari backing China on territory disputes
Sam Dastyari
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Australian Senator Sam Dastyari resigned from a senior position within the opposition Labor party after an audio recording revealed he deliberately contradicted its policy on China’s role in the South China Sea.
The recording, made in June 2016 when Dastyari was standing next to a wealthy Chinese businessman with links to the Communist Party, shows the senator emphatically backing the Asian country’s position in the region, saying: “The Chinese integrity of its borders is a matter for China.”