Arrest of Chinese National Prompts Warning From Australian Foreign Minister on Foreign Interference

A Chinese national, also an Australian permanent resident, is being charged with ’reckless foreign interference' against a Buddhist group.

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong speaks at a press conference with the Indo-Pacific Quad at the State Department in Washington, D.C., on July 1, 2025. Allison Robbert/ AFP via Getty Images

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Tuesday the country will not tolerate being “harassed or surveilled,” after a Chinese national was arrested for foreign interference on Monday.

The female suspect appeared in court for allegedly spying on a local Buddhist group on behalf of China’s ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP), according to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.