Scott Morrison WeChat: new owner amazed account entrusted to ‘single person’ in China

The new owner of Scott Morrison's WeChat account has expressed disbelief that it had been entrusted to an individual in China - and is now considering shutting it down amid a growing political storm.

Earlier this month, subscribers to the Australian prime minister's official WeChat profile were notified the account had been sold to the Fuzhou 985 Information Technology Co Ltd and had been renamed "Australian Chinese New Life".

The account's new owners have not yet posted any content, despite claims by a News Corp tabloid that it had been "rebranded as a pro-Beijing propaganda outfit".

Some members of Morrison's Liberal party are now calling on Australian politicians to boycott WeChat, citing concerns about potential foreign interference. The platform has been used by both major Australian political parties to connect with the Chinese-Australian community.

Huang Aipeng, the legal representative for the Fuzhou software development firm, told Guardian Australia he only learned on Monday that the account belonged to Morrison.

"When I was first told that this account belonged to Morrison, I didn't believe it at all," he said on Tuesday. "How could a big head of state have handed over his WeChat account to a single person to manage?"

Huang categorically denied any allegations of foreign interference. "I've had absolutely no contact over here with any kind of government-related body," he said.