Regardless of how this plays out for Liu, the deeply uncomfortable issue for pluralistic democratic societies of the link between race and allegiance has been pulled into the spotlight.

Are Australian citizens of Chinese origin less supportive of Australian interests and values? Will this question be asked of large ethnic Chinese diasporas in countries such as the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and New Zealand? One should expect that an increasing number of ethnic Chinese citizens will seek to win office in their respective countries. Might the controversy surrounding Liu dissuade them from doing so -- to our collectively detriment -- and how to ensure that does not occur?

As awkward as it is, there is no escaping that race and ethnicity has become a legitimate political and national security issue and we need to be frank and upfront about the cause.

It is occurring primarily because the Communist Party has chosen to politicize and even weaponize race as a tool of foreign policy and subversion.

As in all liberal democracies, Australians of every ethnicity should feel free to hold and express their legitimate views without fear of censure or consequences. The point is not to tell the Chinese diaspora what they should think -- it is to protect them against foreign governments telling them what they must think.

Members of Chinese community organizations in the West and the population at large both need to have the assurance that these organizations are not front entities for Beijing or have been otherwise infiltrated to support the Communist Party's agenda. If that assurance is lacking, all members will inevitably and unfairly be tainted simply by association. That will only lead to the fracturing of multicultural societies.

If Chinese diasporas are to feel respected and valued in Australia and other countries, and if more ethnic Chinese citizens are to be encouraged to run for political office, the countering of Beijing's United Front operations needs to be taken seriously. That is the source of the divide in the first place. Legislation prohibiting such activities ought to be passed. There needs to be transparency in media ownership. Politicians, community leaders and individuals must be given the space and support to call out external attempts to covertly influence, silence or intimidate.

Most of all, the perceived link between race on the one hand and one's loyalty and views on the other, must be broken. In Australia's case, failure to do so could mean that Liu is the first and last Chinese-born Australian to enter federal politics in the country -- with ramifications in other democracies.