Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong's response to Chinese espionage shows 'lack of backbone', former AFP officer says

Sky News AU

3 days ago

Last week, a Chinese woman was charged for allegedly covertly collecting information about a Canberra Buddhist association on behalf of a foreign nation.
Senator Wong refused to say if she had raised the case with officials in Beijing.
Speaking on Tuesday, Senator Wong said the Albanese government was keeping 'clear eyed' on China and insisted she had faith Beijing would act in its own interest.
'I trust China to do what China thinks is in its interest and I trust Australia to do what's in our interests,' she told the Today show.
Former Australian Federal Police detective superintendent David Craig told Sky News the Foreign Minister's remarks were both 'interesting and disappointing'.
'Interesting and disappointing that Penny Wong would say that she trusts that China will act in China's interests and Australia will act in its interests, but there is a serious clash here,' he said.
'This is China's interest being satisfied within our borders by targeting our citizens.'
Mr Craig said the espionage which had taken place was a 'disgraceful act and an escalation' of what China had been doing to the Chinese diaspora within Australia.
'Our Iranian, Russian and Chinese communities in Australia are vulnerable to this sort of manipulation if we don't take a strong stand against it and clearly Penny Wong is not doing that at all,' he said.
Asked why he thought the Albanese government was being reluctant to call out the foreign interference, Mr Craig said it was due to a 'lack of backbone'.
China has since claimed it "never interferes" in other countries' internal affairs, despite Beijing having a long history of foreign espionage and political meddling.
The case has sparked fears of newly inflamed tensions with China.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt on Monday alluded to the threat of espionage on Australian shores.
'At a time of permanent regional contest, offenders will attempt to spy on individuals, groups and institutions in Australia', he said in an apparent reference to Beijing.
ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess, whose agency provided the AFP with the information to launch their investigation, last week warned about the rising cost of espionage to the Australian economy, which he said amounted to $12.5 billion a year.
He said that ASIO had foiled 24 significant espionage and interference operations in the past three years alone.