Huang Xiangmo, a frequent political donor, also saw his application for Australian citizenship officially rejected.
Australia has canceled the residency of a wealthy Chinese property developer and political donor, but the foreign minister said on Wednesday she did not expect Beijing to protest.
Australian officials denied Sydney resident Huang Xiangmo a passport, rejecting his application to become an Australian citizen and canceling his permanent residency, leaving him stranded in Beijing, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers reported.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne confirmed a “high-profile individual from Beijing” had lost his Australian residency. She and the Homes Affairs Department declined to identify the person or detail the circumstances, citing privacy reasons.
“It has not been raised with me; I don’t expect it to be a subject of bilateral discussion,” Payne told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Huang’s exact whereabouts were unknown.
“These are matters that occur from time to time. We have good and constructive relationships based on a relationship of mutual l respect and engagement and if there were issues to be raised, I’m sure we can address those,” she added.