The Australian federal opposition plans to produce social media content in Mandarin to engage Chinese-Australian voters and strengthen communication with the Chinese community. Foreign affairs spokesperson Ted O’Brien said some Chinese-Australian voters feel they have been targeted in recent years, and the opposition hopes to communicate political messages directly in a language familiar to them.
O’Brien said the content is expected to be published on social media platforms including WeChat, focusing on Australia’s core values and the Liberal Party’s views on society. He argued that communicating in people’s native language could help reduce misunderstandings and build stronger connections between political parties and different ethnic communities.
The Liberal Party failed to regain some marginal seats with large Chinese populations in the 2025 federal election, while several seats previously considered relatively safe also faced stronger competition. As a result, the political preferences of Chinese-Australian voters have attracted greater attention from political parties.
O’Brien also opposed One Nation’s proposal to cut funding for government multilingual services, arguing that improving English proficiency is not incompatible with maintaining multilingual communication. He said language skills are important, but building social cohesion around shared values is even more important, stressing that Australians from different backgrounds can still share the same democratic and social values.