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Australian spy chief accuses China of IP theft and meddling; experts say remarks reflect certain Australian officials' attempt to mislead public

Global Times

By Zhao Yusha Published: Nov 05, 2025 02:26 PM

An Australian spy chief on Tuesday accused Chinese security services of widespread intellectual property theft and political meddling and said China failed to understand how their Western counterparts operate. The remarks came on the heels of comments by Australia's Defense Minister Richard Marles, who hyped up China's "military build-up."

Chinese experts criticized the series of statements, saying they reflect some Australia politicians' anxiety and bias toward China's technological and military progress. Moreover, they said the spy chief's remarks reveal an arrogance rooted in the belief that Western political system is superior, while making such groundless accusations to mislead Australian public opinion.

Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, better known as ASIO, claimed that he would continue to call out China for harming Australian interests. Burgess made the claims at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, AP reported on Tuesday.

He also claimed that China displayed an ignorance of ASIO's role in Australia.

Burgess claimed that China would understand "a Western liberal democracy and the role and the statutory standing of the security service. We work for the government of the day but our security assessments and our security action are independent," Australian spy chief claimed.

Claiming that China's intelligence agencies are engaged in large-scale intellectual property theft and political interference is a cliché accusation and reveals the Australian spy chief's deep rooted sense of anxiety and unease - a reflection of his discomfort with China's rapid rise in technology and overall national strength, Yu Lei, chief research fellow at the Research Center for Pacific Island Countries of Liaocheng University in East China's Shandong Province, told the Global Times.

As for Burgess's claim that China fails to understand how the Western mechanism operates, the accusation itself reveals both arrogance and ignorance, Chen Hong, director of New Zealand Studies Centre from East China Normal University, told the Global Times.

Chen said the arrogance lies in the belief that the Western model of democracy is inherently superior and that China must learn from or conform to it. In reality, China has its own political system and model of social governance.

As Australia's spy chief, Burgess made these remarks without offering any evidence — vague and misleading statements aimed not at protecting the public, but at shaping public perception, Chen said.

Burgess also said he had a "strong relationship" with FBI Director Kash Patel. "When it comes to protecting Australians, the Americans are great mates and they help us every day and we do our fair share of helping them as well. That's the way it should be.

However, when asked to respond to accusations by US intelligence agencies that China had infiltrated parts of the US power grid and water systems and stolen American intellectual property and personal information, President Donald Trump told CBS News' 60 Minutes aired on Sunday, "We're a threat to them, too. Many of the things you say they do to us, we do to them."

Diplomatic and trade ties have improved since Australia's current government was first elected in 2022. But security relations remain fraught as Australia joined the US in efforts to counter China in the region, the AP claimed.

At almost the same time as Burgess made the remarks, Reuters reported on Tuesday that Australia's defense minister Richard Marles also claimed the work of Australia's defense force to protect its sea trade routes, including through the South China Sea, is becoming more risky as China undertakes the "biggest military build-up in the world today."

Although China-Australia relations appear to have "warmed" on the surface, the improvement remains largely confined to trade, with no substantive shift in Canberra's confrontational mindset in the political, military and security spheres, Yu said.

The recent Australian officials accusations, Yu noted, show some Australian officials' stance toward China continues to serve the preservation of American global hegemony.