China rejects interference in Australia after citizen charged with spying

ANKARA

China on Tuesday rejected interference in Australia after a Chinese citizen was charged by Canberra with spying.

In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that Beijing develops relations with other countries, including Australia, on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference.

"We never interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, and in the meanwhile, firmly oppose any disruption to the normal people-to-people interactions, exchanges and cooperation between China and relevant country under the pretext of foreign interference, he said.

His statement came after Australian police and the country's spy agency on Monday charged a Chinese national, who is also a permanent Australian resident, with the offense of “foreign interference.”

The Chinese national was accused of secretly gathering information about a Buddhist group in Canberra and appeared in court on Monday charged with "reckless foreign interference," which could lead to up to 15 years in prison.

However, Guo said China will follow the case closely and protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese nationals.

It is the third time a person had been charged with foreign interference offense since new laws were introduced in 2018.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid