Australia charges two Chinese nationals with foreign interference
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Australia's spy chief Mike Burgess said foreign interference is one of the country's principal security concerns.
PHOTO: REUTERS
SYDNEY – Two Chinese nationals are set to appear in court on Feb 11 after the Australian police charged them with foreign interference on grounds of covertly collecting information about a Buddhist group, on behalf of a Chinese government security agency.
It is the second instance of Chinese nationals being charged under foreign interference laws introduced by Australia in 2018, and the pair are the fourth and fifth individuals to be charged in this manner.
The Australian Federal Police said a 25-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman allegedly worked with another Chinese woman, who was charged in August, to gather information about the Canberra branch of the Guan Yin Citta group.
“Multiple foreign regimes are monitoring, harassing and intimidating members of our diaspora communities,” Australia’s spy chief Mike Burgess said in a statement issued jointly with police.
“This sort of behaviour is utterly unacceptable and cannot be tolerated.”
Each defendant faces a count of reckless foreign interference, carrying a maximum jail term of 15 years, on the court appearance in the Australian capital.
The Chinese Embassy in Australia did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.
The introduction of the foreign interference laws had strained ties with China, Australia’s largest trading partner. Two prior such cases involved Australian citizens accused of working with Chinese intelligence agencies.
The police said the investigation began in 2025, after the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation provided information.
Foreign interference is one of Australia’s principal security concerns, Mr Burgess said.
“A complex, challenging and changing security environment is becoming more dynamic, diverse and degraded,” he said in the statement. REUTERS
