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."

What have Australian officials said about the case?

Police said they began investigating the case last year after a tip from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), the country's domestic intelligence agency. 

"Multiple foreign regimes are ‌monitoring, harassing and intimidating members of our diaspora communities," ‌ASIO head Mike Burgess said in a statement issued jointly with police.

"This sort of behavior is utterly unacceptable and cannot be tolerated," he added.

Foreign interference ⁠is one ​of Australia's main security concerns,  Burgess said.

"A complex, challenging and changing security environment is becoming more dynamic, diverse and degraded," he said.

Police counterterrorism and special investigations assistant commissioner Stephen Nutt said, "Australia is not immune to foreign interference, and we should not expect this arrest will prevent further attempts to target our diaspora communities."  

"Members of our culturally and linguistically diverse communities are more likely to be victims of foreign interference or transnational repression than to be offenders," he added.

Fraught China-Australia ties

Ties between Australia and China have come under repeated strain in the past 10 years amid differences over national security and conflicting interests in the Pacific region.  

Among other things, China has frequently been accused by Australia of infiltrating community organizations as a way of monitoring expats and dissidents.

The introduction of the foreign interference laws, which Beijing saw as directed largely against China, also put pressure on bilateral ties.

Since 2024, however, there has been an improvement in relations after China lifted its ban on imported Australian rock lobster, thus paving the way for the end of a trade war that has been underway since 2017.

China accounts for nearly one-third of Australia's total trade.

Edited by: Sean Sinico