Foreign Minister Penny Wong is using a recent controversial remark by Liberal finance spokesperson Jane Hume to challenge the Liberal Party's treatment of Chinese Australians ahead of the upcoming federal election.

Hume's suggestion that Chinese volunteers for the Liberal Party might be spies has prompted Wong to question the party's loyalty to Chinese Australians, particularly through targeted ads on platforms like WeChat.

Wong argues that the Liberal Party has a history of questioning the loyalty of Chinese Australians and accuses Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of 'weaponising' Australia's relationship with China for electoral gain.

Hume's comments, made on Channel Seven, insinuated that there could be 'Chinese spies' involved in Labor's campaign, further igniting Wong's criticisms.

The Liberal Party is actively trying to regain support from Chinese voters after experiencing a significant swing to Labor in the 2022 election, where their criticism of China led to a 6.6% swing against them in areas with high Chinese ancestry.

In this context, Liberal candidate Scott Yung, running in the key battleground of Bennelong, is distancing himself from former Prime Minister Scott Morrison's policies that alienated Chinese voters during the pandemic.

However, Yung's campaign is complicated by the involvement of Yan Zehua, a former executive of a Chinese association linked to the Chinese Communist Party, who is leading a chat group supporting Yung.

In response, Dutton has shifted his rhetoric to be more favorable towards China, acknowledging the importance of rebuilding trade relationships to appeal to Chinese voters.

Key battlegrounds like Bennelong are expected to be significantly influenced by the Chinese Australian vote, with candidates striving to connect with the diaspora community.

Labor's campaign is also focusing on highlighting the Liberal Party's past failures, using Mandarin signs to warn voters against supporting Dutton, framing him as a continuation of Morrison's unpopular policies.

By positioning their candidate as a better choice for the Chinese Australian community, Labor is emphasizing generational differences in political priorities among voters.

Community sentiments are divided, with some older voters still supporting the Liberal Party due to historical successes, while younger voters prioritize issues like climate change over party loyalty.