Tony Abbott's re-election campaign held a fundraising event at a private golf club run by a fugitive Chinese casino tycoon with deep ties to the Communist Party.

Key points: Tony Abbott attended two events at the Twin Creeks golf club, which is run by Chinese moguls with ties to the Communist Party

Tony Abbott attended two events at the Twin Creeks golf club, which is run by Chinese moguls with ties to the Communist Party One event was a fundraiser for Mr Abbott's re-election campaign

One event was a fundraiser for Mr Abbott's re-election campaign In 2015 ASIO warned Mr Abbott that businessmen with ties to the CCP were seeking to influence Australian politics

A joint investigation by Four Corners, The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald can reveal that Mr Abbott attended the fundraiser at the Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club in March last year.

The club is run by Jack Lam — who is wanted for bribery in the Philippines — and Tommy Jiang, who operates one of Australia's largest pro-Beijing media organisations.

The Liberal Party's federal wing has disclosed a $40,000 "other receipts" contribution from "Twin Creeks" to the party in the 2017/18 financial year.

A senior Liberal Party source said last night that the party was now reviewing the donations associated with Twin Creeks.

Mr Lam and Mr Jiang have close ties to the Communist Party and are involved in overseas influence organisations including the China Overseas Friendship Association.

Mr Lam and Mr Jiang have also been appointed to the Chinese Peoples' Political Consultative Conference, a political organisation handpicked by the Chinese Communist Party.

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Mr Lam fled the Philippines in 2016 after authorities raided his casino and arrested more than 1,300 Chinese nationals working illegally. In October 2017, Philippines anti-corruption authorities announced they would charge him with allegedly paying a $1.3 million bribe to senior immigration officials.

Four Corners can also reveal that Mr Abbott was a special guest at another event at the Twin Creeks club hosted by Mr Lam and Mr Jiang two weeks earlier.

Mr Abbott's attendance at the Twin Creeks events raises questions over what level of scrutiny politicians are undertaking when it comes to attending fundraisers.

In 2015 when Mr Abbott was prime minister he was warned by ASIO that businessmen with links to the Communist Party were seeking to influence Australian politicians.

Tony Abbott (centre) with Jack Lam (fourth from right) and others at the Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club. ( Supplied )

Abbott attended fundraiser 'as a guest'

In response to questions about his attendance at the March Twin Creeks event, a spokesman for Mr Abbott said Liberal Party events are "a matter for the organisational wing of the Party".

"Mr Abbott attended as a guest and had no involvement with arrangements surrounding the event in question," the spokesman said.

"Mr Abbott had no reason to believe there was any concern around the venue's ownership."

At the March event, Mr Abbott said he was "very grateful" to attendees for taking time off to "support the Warringah Liberal Party."

"[The] second thing I want to say is how much I admire the achievements of modern China," Mr Abbott said.

"I've got to say I am no friend of communism … but, you have got to hand it to the Chinese people, and the Chinese Government, they have engineered the greatest advancement in human wellbeing of all times.

"I look forward to many visits to Twin Creeks," he added.

Tony Abbott and other guests at the Warringah FEC event at the Twin Creeks club. ( Supplied )

John Garnaut, a former senior China adviser to now ex-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, said the decision to hold the fundraiser with Mr Jiang was surprising.

"If I was a politician, I wouldn't be taking money from somebody who is involved in a foreign propaganda outlet. There's at least the risk of the perception of conflict of interest, of being tainted," Mr Garnaut said.

China censoring media within Australia

The joint investigation has found that Mr Jiang's Australian radio stations are censoring content and disciplining broadcasters in line with directives issued by the Chinese Communist Party.

In a recording obtained by Four Corners, Mr Jiang can be heard disciplining veteran Melbourne broadcaster Xiao Lu off air last July for allowing talkback callers to criticise Beijing.

"I will have trouble with my business partners in Melbourne and other partners too," Mr Jiang was recorded saying.

"You will also be in trouble. It has gone too far.

"You can't just let them verbally abuse China and the Chinese Communist Party on air. Furthermore, their language is too vicious."

Jiang hosted both Liberal and Labor fundraisers

Mr Jiang resigned from his directorships of his Australian media companies in February and March, but it is unclear why.

The success of Mr Jiang's media business is due in part to his long-standing collaboration with the Chinese Communist Party's propaganda arm, the state-owned international broadcaster, China Radio International.

Mr Jiang has previously said that he has organised fundraising for both the Liberal and Labor parties. In 2013, he hosted a fundraiser for Kevin Rudd that raised $260,000.

Ban on foreign donations

In January this year, foreign donations to political parties were banned after revelations surrounding billionaire Chinese donor Huang Xiangmo.

The Communist Party-aligned Sydney property developer donated millions to both parties after arriving in Australia in 2011.

Huang Xiangmo was recently banned from returning to Australia based on ASIO advice he posed a risk of foreign interference.

Watch the full Interference investigation on Four Corners, Monday 8.30pm on ABC TV and iview.