Alleged Chinese Spies' Surveillance Operation Described as 'High School Student' Work in Australian Court
Two individuals accused of being Chinese spies conducted surveillance on a religious centre in Australia in a manner likened to "high school student" work, according to recent court proceedings. The Australian Federal Police arrested a 25-year-old man and 31-year-old woman, Siru Zheng, on Wednesday following an investigation into their activities.
Details of the Alleged Surveillance Operation
The pair were allegedly gathering information about the Canberra branch of Guan Yin Citta, a Buddhist group, under the direction of a public security bureau in China. During their first court appearance, Magistrate Glenn Theakston remarked that this data gathering had been handled "a bit like a high school student might do for an assignment."
Both Chinese nationals are accused of reckless foreign interference by the AFP. However, Mr Theakston expressed difficulty in seeing where the offending lies, stating in the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday, "There's scant evidence that I can see that demonstrates the covert or deceptive nature of the offending."
Methods and Evidence Presented in Court
The alleged operation was primarily conducted through simple internet searches, according to court testimony. Mr Theakston described their spying as more like "research on the internet" of open source information "with some additional steps." The pair filed through Australian Securities and Investment Commission information about Canberra's Guan Yin Citta branch and its social media, with searches focused on publicly available databases and websites.
It appeared the pair were primarily trying to gain an understanding of the Buddhist group's current activities and organisational structure. A separate unanswered phone call was also made to the group's Melbourne branch regarding the same inquiries, but the two alleged spies never received a response.
Legal Proceedings and Bail Conditions
Ms Zheng and the man, who cannot be legally named, have indicated they will be pleading not guilty to any charges against them. Both have been granted bail despite objections from the police prosecutor, who argued they were flight risks. A federal agent told the court that police were worried China might supply the two with travel documents to return home, even though their passports had been seized.
The bail conditions require both individuals to not approach any Chinese embassy or consulate and to not communicate with any employee of the Chinese government, with an exception for family members. The case is set to return to court in April.
Background and Context of the Case
This surveillance began after the death of the organisation's founder, whose religious group is banned in China. These arrests are the latest in a series involving alleged Chinese spies in Australia, following another woman's arrest in her home in 2025, who also cannot be named. The first alleged spy to be arrested was charged with, and pleaded not guilty to, reckless foreign interference.
Officers accused the three individuals of working together to gather information about the Canberra branch of Guan Yin Citta. Ms Zheng's defence lawyer stated that her alleged conduct towards this goal had ended in 2022. In contrast, the man's efforts were allegedly extensive and continued up until his arrest.
During a police raid of his home in December, officers allegedly found more than 23,000 terabytes of evidence on his devices. The case highlights ongoing concerns about foreign interference activities in Australia and the methods used in such operations.
