Filip Dewinter, a leading member of far-right party Vlaams Belang and an MP in the Flemish Parliament, allegedly received payments from a Chinese spy in Belgium for many years.
Documents uncovered by media outlets Apache and Humo have exposed the far-right politician's links with Shao Changchun, a Chinese spy expelled from Belgium in 2017. A trail of expense reports and correspondence suggests that Dewinter attempted to prevent this expulsion.
In addition, Dewinter appears to have received payments from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) through a chain of companies and non-profit organisations. For instance, an expenses claim from 2016 details a meal organised by Dewinter and attended by several far-right European politicians in preparation for a visit from a delegation of the Chinese Association for Friendly International Contact, a Chinese intelligence organisation.
Despite several similar expenses claims, Dewinter insists that none of the meetings were political in nature.
Another connection highlighted by the investigation is a letter dating from 2016, in which Dewinter described himself as a "senior political advisor" for the Silk Road Peace Award Foundation – an association connected to Changchun.
The Flemish politician has disputed the majority of the revelations but conceded that he did on one occasion organise a meeting between Changchun and the Syrian ambassador. However, he again claimed that the appointment had no political undertones and stresses that he was unaware of Changchun's involvement in espionage until his expulsion from Belgium.
Allegations are 'old news', says Vlaams Belang
Vlaams Belang has categorically dismissed allegations that Dewinter was paid by Chinese intelligence or lobbied on their behalf. A party spokesperson told Belga News Agency the allegations were "old news".
The party points out that the allegations have already been dealt with through a complaint lodged with the Flemish Parliament's ethical standards committee in 2023. The committee subsequently concluded that they lacked evidence to proceed with the case. Prior to this, the Ministry of Justice had also deemed the case impossible to charge.
Vlaams Belang MP Filip Dewinter. Credit: Belga/Jonas Roosens
Groen party leader Mieke Schauvliege had lodged the complaint following Dewinter's rapid and inexplicable success in securing 10,000 face masks from Changchun when the Covid-19 pandemic first hit.
Creyelman brothers
Dewinter is one of several Vlaams Belang members to be accused of ties with China. Former MP Frank Creyelman informed Chinese intelligence and attempted to influence Belgian politics in Beijing's favour for over three years, a joint investigation of the Financial Times, Der Spiegel and Le Monde revealed in December.
He has since been expelled from the party, and his brother (also a member of Vlaams Belang) has announced he will not run for election again due to being implicated in the case.
Belgian political parties agreed in 1989 to place a cordon sanitaire around Vlaams Blok (the current party's original form) due to its overtly racist rhetoric. Increasingly right-wing politics in Flanders has raised fears about the cordon sanitaire being breached as other parties have indicated a greater willing to engage with the party.
But Vlaams Belang's chances of entering into government with fellow Flemish nationalists N-VA have been severely damaged by multiplying espionage claims. Asked about the possibility of a coalition with the party in November, N-VA party leader Bart De Wever replied: "With the way it exists now? No, never, nowhere."
