It is a masterful lesson in how to put your circles of influence to work. Invite a prominent politician you're on friendly terms with, who may even owe you a favour or two. Put him in front of journalists, too, from a media outlet you are particularly close with.

Snap your fingers and you have prolific political donor and legal benefactor Huang Xiangmo grinning next to Labor senator Sam Dastyari as he pledged to respect China's position on the South China Sea during an election campaign press conference in June. Those comments would ultimately cost Senator Dastyari his job.

The report was filed by Ma Xiaolong, the editor-in-chief of Sydney Today, an online Chinese-language news outlet of growing influence, which boasts more than 5 million page views a month on its website, and another 3 million via its presence on Chinese social media application WeChat.

Mr Huang, the chairman of the pro-Beijing Australian Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China, files regular columns for Sydney Today and across its syndicated network of other news sites across the country's major cities - including a running political commentary during the recent federal election campaign. As chairman of property developer Yuhu Group, he is also a lucrative source of advertising for the growing media group.