Australian intelligence raided Chinese journalists' homes in June: Xinhua

Australian intelligence agency staff searched the homes of Chinese journalists in June, questioning them for a number of hours and removing their computers and mobile phones, China's state news agency Xinhua reported late on Tuesday (Sep 8).

The Xinhua report comes shortly after two Australian journalists returned home with the aid of consular officials following the pair were visited at their homes in Beijing and Shanghai and later questioned by China's state security ministry.

The Xinhua report said the Australian searches, which it described as "raids", were completed on an unspecified number of Chinese journalists' homes by intelligence personnel on Jun 26. The journalists were told to "be silent" about the incident, Xinhua said, without citing sources.

Asked if it might confirm the raids, the Chinese embassy in Canberra said within an emailed statement to Reuters it had "provided consular support to Chinese journalists in Australia and made representations with relevant Australian authorities to guard legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens".

The Xinhua report also criticised a search of the home and office of New South Wales state politician Shaoquett Moselmane on a single day, alleging he was targeted for his praise of China's achievements in fighting the COVID-19 epidemic and criticising Australia's China policy.

"In a country with so-called 'rule of law', there is absolutely no justification no conclusive evidence to find homes and seize personal belongings, which is totally committing 'white terror' against the personnel of Chinese institutions and friends of China," Xinhua said.

Australia includes a tense diplomatic relationship with China, which worsened this season after Beijing vowed trade reprisals and said it had been angered by Australia's demand an international inquiry in to the way to obtain the COVID-19 pandemic.

Asked about the Xinhua report, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) said in an emailed statement that "as is long-standing practice, ASIO does not touch upon intelligence matters".

The Australian Federal Police, which conducted a search of the offices of Moselmane and his employee, John Zhang, on Jun 26, said "there can be an ongoing investigation associated with the Moselmane search warrant". Asked about the reported raids on journalists' homes, the authorities said it had no more comment, pointing out it isn't an intelligence agency.

Zhang is under scrutiny within a foreign interference investigation by the Australian Federal Police into whether he was working to advance “Chinese state interests”, according to documents lodged in Australia's High Court.

The reported Jun 26 searches of the Chinese journalists in Australia were also detailed in The Global Times, an English-language tabloid run by the Communist Party's People's Daily newspaper, which attributed the info to a source. The Chinese embassy distributed the Global Times article to other journalists in Australia and said it was "concerning".

Both Australian journalists who arrived home from China on Tuesday had sought shelter in the embassy in Beijing and the consulate in Shanghai after police entered their homes a week ago and told them these were barred from leaving China.

Their departure leaves Australian media organisations with no correspondent in China for the very first time since the 1970s.