SYDNEY: Australian authorities on Wednesday charged two Chinese nationals with foreign interference, accusing them of spying on a Buddhist group in Australia on behalf of China’s domestic security services, in the latest case highlighting Canberra’s concerns over foreign influence operations.
The pair — a 25-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman — were each charged with one count of “reckless foreign interference,” an offence that carries a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment, Australian police said.
When the two appear in court later on Wednesday, prosecutors are expected to allege that they worked alongside another Chinese national who was charged last August with covertly gathering information on the Guan Yin Citta Buddhist group in Australia’s capital, Canberra.
Police allege the accused acted under the direction of China’s Public Security Bureau, the country’s main domestic law enforcement and security agency, as part of a broader effort to monitor and influence overseas communities, according to AFP.
China’s embassy in Canberra did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AFP. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said the investigation began last year following intelligence provided by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), Australia’s domestic spy agency.
ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess said the case reflects an increasingly volatile security environment in which foreign states are expanding their influence operations abroad.
“A complex, challenging and changing security environment is becoming more dynamic, diverse and degraded,” Burgess said.
“Multiple foreign regimes are monitoring, harassing and intimidating members of our diaspora communities. This sort of behaviour is utterly unacceptable and cannot be tolerated.”
China’s extensive security apparatus has long been accused by Western governments of infiltrating community organisations, religious groups and cultural associations overseas in order to monitor expatriates, critics and dissidents.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) Assistant Commissioner for Counter Terrorism and Special Investigations Stephen Nutt said Australia remains vulnerable to such activity despite recent arrests.
“Australia is not immune to foreign interference, and we should not expect this arrest will prevent further attempts to target our diaspora communities,” Nutt said.
“Members of our culturally and linguistically diverse communities are more likely to be victims of foreign interference or transnational repression than to be offenders.”
The Guan Yin Citta organisation describes its mission as encouraging “people to recite Buddhist scriptures, practise life liberation and make great vows to help more people.” Founded by the late Lu Jun Hong, known to followers as Master Lu, the group claims to have millions of devotees worldwide.
The case emerges against the backdrop of historically strained relations between Beijing and Canberra, which have experienced repeated tensions over national security, foreign interference and strategic competition across the Pacific region over the past decade.
Bilateral ties showed signs of improvement in 2024, when China lifted a ban on imported Australian rock lobster, removing the final obstacle to ending a damaging trade dispute that began in 2017.
Despite political frictions, China remains one of Australia’s most important economic partners, accounting for nearly one-third of Australia’s total trade, underscoring the delicate balance Canberra faces between economic engagement and national security concerns.
