Thursday 12 / February / 2026
Two Chinese nationals have fallen foul of Australian laws on foreign interference introduced in 2018, with police alleging they spied on a Buddhist group under orders from law enforcement authorities in China.
The pair — a 25-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman — were to appear in court on Wednesday, each on the charge of "reckless foreign interference," and could face a maximum penalty of 15 years in jail if convicted.
It is the second instance of Chinese nationals being charged under the laws, and the two become the fourth and fifth people so charged.
What are the two Chinese nationals accused of?
Australian federal police allege that the two worked together with another Chinese woman charged last August for covertly gathering information on the Guan Yin Citta Buddhist group in the capital, Canberra.
The spying activities are believed to have been carried out at the behest of China's Public Security Bureau, the country's main domestic law enforcement body.
Beijing considers the Guan Yin Citta group to be a cult.
The group describes its goals as encouraging "people to recite Buddhist scriptures, practice life liberation and make great vows to help more people."
