In November 2017 my publisher shelved publication of my book, Silent Invasion, which detailed the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Australia.
I was shocked. The publisher had been enthusiastic; the manuscript had been through expert review, revision, editing and legal vetting. Now, in a startling vindication of the essential argument of the book, Allen & Unwin said they feared retaliation from Beijing.
The biggest financial risk was lawfare: libel actions from individuals acting at the behest of Beijing, or its agents in Australia, ready to sacrifice $1 million in legal fees pursuing the publisher (not to mention the author). Even with no chance of success, a motivated litigant can impose crippling costs.
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