In plain sight: how an alleged Chinese spy tried to build an Australian business empire

When Chunsheng Chen departed Australia last year after being publicly outed as a suspected Communist party operative, he left several threads behind that have baffled authorities

As the private plane circled western New South Wales, where Australia's lush seaboard makes way for its dusty heart, the men on board were keen to make a deal.

Chunsheng Chen and his five companions were on their way to a tyre recycling plant just outside the town of Warren.