China's ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, has publicly criticized the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) over allegations of foreign interference, cautioning that such claims risk harming Australia-China relations.

Ambassador Xiao took issue with a video aired before ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess's recent speech, describing it as casting aspersions on China. Although Burgess's speech did not mention China, the preceding video and related court matters drew Xiao's ire.

In an opinion piece sent to Nine Newspapers, Xiao also condemned a joint statement from the Five Eyes intelligence alliance—which includes Australia, the UK, the US, Canada, and New Zealand—regarding the risk of Chinese intelligence services using platforms like LinkedIn to recruit spies. She labeled the statement "slanderous" and accused it of failing to provide substantive evidence.

Xiao highlighted convictions in Australia of individuals accused of interfering on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, stating, "Noting the Ambassador advocates the application of the rule of law, we point you to: the conviction of a Melbourne man for attempting to interfere in Australia's political system to advance the interests of the Chinese Communist Party."

ASIO has strongly rebutted Xiao's criticisms, with a spokeswoman referencing other court-proven interference cases. The agency also raised concerns about the potential harm caused by broadcasting official videos while related cases remain pending.

The ambassador was present during Burgess's annual threat assessment at ASIO headquarters in Canberra, sitting in the second row. Media coverage was limited to the speech and Q&A session, excluding the video shown beforehand.

Sources