Chinese woman becomes third person charged under Australia's foreign interference laws

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A Chinese citizen was charged Monday under Australia’s recent foreign interference laws with covertly collecting information about an Australian Buddhist association, police said.

The woman, an Australian permanent resident based in the capital Canberra, is only the third person charged since the laws were passed in 2018 and the first to be accused of interfering with the general population, Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt police said.

She was charged in a Canberra court with covertly gathering information about a local branch of the Buddhist association Guan Yin Citta on behalf of the Public Security Bureau of China.

The association is banned in China. Police have not detailed her alleged objectives.

“We allege the activity was to support intelligence objectives of the China’s Public Security Bureau. This is the first time the AFP has charged a person with foreign interference that allegedly involves targeting members of the Australian community,” Nutt told reporters.

“Foreign interference is a serious crime that undermines democracy and social cohesion. It is a crime carried out by or on behalf of a foreign principal that involves covert and deceptive conduct or threats of serious harm or menacing demands,” Nutt added.

China's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it was not aware of the specifics of the case, but that “we never interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.” It added that China will closely monitor the case and protect the rights and interests of its citizens.

The woman, who was arrested at her home Saturday, cannot be named publicly due to a court order. She was remanded in custody and faces a maximum 15 years in prison if convicted.

She is the first foreign national to be charged under the sweeping laws that created a rift between Australia and China when they were first announced in 2017.

Vietnam-born Melbourne businessman and local community leader Di Sanh Duong was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison last year over an attempt to influence a former federal government minister on behalf of China.

Sydney businessman Alexander Csergo also was charged with foreign interference for allegedly accepting payments for information from two suspected Chinese spies. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, said the nation's main domestic spy agency had made a signficant contribution to the latest arrest.

“Foreign interference of the kind alleged is an appalling assault on Australian values, freedoms and sovereignty,” Burgess said in a statement.

The charge comes as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese mends bilateral relations with China that plumbed new lows under the previous Australian administration over issues including foreign interference laws.

Albanese traveled to Beijing last month to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the fourth time since the Australian leader was first elected in 2022.

Associated Press writer Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed.

In this photo provided by the Australian Federal Police, Assistant Commissioner for Counterterrorism and Special Investigations Stephen Nutt speaks in Canberra, on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025, about a Chinese national being charged under Australia's foreign interference laws. (Australian Federal Police via AP)

DODOMA, Tanzania (AP) — Tanzania’s president has, for the first time since the disputed October election, commented on a six-day internet shutdown as the country went through its worst postelection violence.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Thursday expressed “sympathy” to diplomats and foreign nationals living in the country, saying the government would strive to ensure there is never a repeat of the same.

Hassan won the October election with more than 97% of the vote after candidates from the two main opposition parties were barred from running and the country’s main opposition leader remained in prison facing treason charges.

Violence broke out on election day and went on for days as the internet was shut down amid a heavy police crackdown that left hundreds of people dead, according to rights groups.

Hassan blamed the violence on foreigners and pardoned hundreds of young people who had been arrested, saying they were acting under peer pressure.

Speaking to ambassadors, high commissioners and representatives of international organizations on Thursday in the capital, Dodoma, she sought to reassure envoys of their safety, saying the government would remain vigilant to prevent a repeat of the disruption.

“To our partners in the diplomatic community and foreigners residing here in Tanzania, I express my sincere sympathy for the uncertainty, service restrictions and internet shutdowns you experienced,” she said.

Hassan defended her administration, saying the measures were taken to preserve constitutional order and protect citizens.

“I assure you that we will remain vigilant to ensure your safety and prevent any recurrence of such experiences,” the president told diplomats on Thursday.

Tanzania has, since the October elections, established a commission of inquiry to look into the violence that left hundreds dead and property worth millions of shillings destroyed in a country that has enjoyed relative calm for decades.

Foreign observers said the election failed to meet democratic standards because key opposition figures were barred.

FILE - Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan delivers remarks during a campaign rally ahead of the general elections in Iringa, Tanzania, Oct. 5, 2025. (AP Photo, File)