The Brisbane Magistrates Court announced that Zhu Guoxin, a Growatt executive who attempted to bribe Australian officials, has been handed over to the Australian immigration department for immediate deportation to China after receiving a suspended sentence, and is banned from business entry for life.
On August 20, 2026, Zhu Guoxin, an executive at Shenzhen Growatt, pleaded guilty in the Brisbane Magistrates Court to bribing an Australian official with 20,000 AUD. He argued that gift-giving is a common practice in China. He was sentenced to a 12-month suspended prison term and deportation proceedings were initiated.
Zhu Guoxin (Guoxin Zhu) was arrested and taken back to Queensland as he was about to board a flight to leave the country at Sydney International Airport. The court refused bail on the grounds that there was a serious risk of flight.
Growatt Australian executive Guoxin Zhu hid A$20,000 in cash inside a tea box and offered it to a representative of the Clean Energy Council of Australia in an attempt to expedite product approval; the representative refused the bribe and reported it, leading to a joint investigation by Australian police.