Such support from the Party's International Department had already raised concerns about Beijing's interference in Australian politics, even before Mr Zhou's attendance at the United Front course was known.

Mr Zhou did not return calls on Tuesday.

He sits on Ryde Council as an independent, after being forced to resign from his job at Labor's NSW head office over a gold-trading scandal and his links to Beijing.

Mr Zhou's connection to Mr Huang and the planning approval granted by Ryde Council for his Eastwood Plaza redevelopment have been referred to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption.

The Communist Party's International Department supported Senate candidates Simon Zhou and Paul Han.

This follows Mr Zhou's failure to declare a $4 million financial connection with Mr Huang.

On Tuesday evening, Mr Zhou will face a motion to stand aside as deputy mayor while any investigation by the ICAC plays out. The Labor mayor, Jerome Laxale, will face a similar motion to stand aside, after also being referred to the ICAC.

Mr Huang stands to make a $135 million profit from the Eastwood planning decision, which opposition members of council are now seeking to reopen.


Trail of links grows

On being elected to council in 2017, Mr Zhou vowed to “minimise confusion” by ceasing his association with Mr Huang, and downplayed any suggestion he was linked to Beijing's interference in Australian politics.

At that stage, the extent of his links with Beijing had not been fully revealed.

State media articles in China and open-sourced documents show the eight-day course attended by Mr Zhou was conducted under the auspices of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification.

Mr Huang headed this organisation for three years in Australia until November 2017.

The Vision Times, an independent media company writing for a Chinese audience in Australia, has documented the link between the Peaceful National Reunification council and the United Front.

China's state media reported that a United Front official spoke to students during the training program. A photo shows Mr Zhou among the delegates.


The Australian Financial Review revealed last month that Mr Zhou failed to disclose he had held a $4 million shareholding in one of Mr Huang's companies that owns the Pymble Corporate Centre, a low-rise office complex on Sydney’s north shore.

That shareholding would not have increased in value because of the Eastwood Plaza planning decision, but Mr Zhou's failure to disclose the mutual shareholding with Mr Huang may have breached disclosure requirements.

Mr Zhou formed part of Ryde Council’s oversight for the Eastwood Plaza redevelopment, but absented himself from the critical vote on May 28, citing a “less than significant non-pecuniary interest”.

He also failed to declare an interest in $13 million worth of property on his pecuniary interest register at council.

At Tuesday night's extraordinary meeting Liberal councillor Trenton Brown has tabled a series of motions. The first is for the council to refer matters raised by The Australian Financial Review on October 30 to be referred to ICAC; and that the mayor and deputy mayor stand down pending the outcome of any investigation.

Mr Bown is also moving to ask the Northern Sydney Planning Panel to overturn Yuhu's development approval for the Eastwood Plaza; and to seek a freezing order on Yuhu's Eastwood assets, pending any investigation.