A general view of the Chinese embassy building in Canberra
Australian police said Wednesday they have charged two Chinese nationals with foreign interference, accusing them of spying on a Buddhist group at the behest of police in China.
The pair, a 25-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman, have each been charged with one count of "reckless foreign interference," which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment.
When the two appeared in court Wednesday, police alleged they worked with a Chinese national charged last August for covertly gathering information on the Guan Yin Citta Buddhist group in Australia's capital, Canberra.
They are alleged to have worked under the command of China's Public Security Bureau, the country's main domestic law enforcement body.
Australia's federal police said they began investigating the case last year on a tip from Canberra's spy agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization.
Agency chief Mike Burgess said a "complex, challenging and changing security environment is becoming more dynamic, diverse and degraded."
"Multiple foreign regimes are monitoring, harassing and intimidating members of our diaspora communities," he said.
"This sort of behavior is utterly unacceptable and cannot be tolerated."
China's sprawling security apparatus has long been accused of infiltrating community organizations as a way to keep tabs on expats and dissidents.
