MELBOURNE: A Chinese citizen was charged Monday under Australia’s recent foreign interference laws with covertly collecting information about an Australian Buddhist association, police said.
The woman, an Australian permanent resident based in the capital Canberra, is only the third person charged since the laws were passed in 2018 and the first to be accused of interferring with the general population, Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt police said.
She was charged in a Canberra court with covertly gathering information about a local branch of the Buddhist association Guan Yin Citta on behalf of the Public Security Bureau of China.
The association is banned in China. Police have not detailed her alleged objectives.
“We allege the activity was to support intelligence objectives of the China’s Public Security Bureau. This is the first time the AFP has charged a person with foreign interference that allegedly involves targeting members of the Australian community,” Nutt told reporters.
