A Chinese woman has become the third person charged under Australia's foreign interference laws, accused of covertly gathering information about a Buddhist association for China's Public Security Bureau. The woman, an Australian permanent resident living in Canberra, was charged in a local court on Monday.
Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt said the woman allegedly targeted a local branch of the Buddhist association Guan Yin Citta, which is banned in China. This is the first time someone has been charged with foreign interference involving members of the Australian community, Nutt added.
The woman was arrested at her home on Saturday and remanded in custody. She faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison if convicted. A court order prohibits her from being named publicly.
The charge comes as Australia-China relations show signs of improvement under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last month. The Chinese Embassy in Canberra has not yet commented on the case.
