Key points: ASIO director Mike Burgess publicly accused Chinese security services of large-scale intellectual property theft and political interference and said Beijing misunderstands the role of Western security agencies. He vowed to continue naming threats to Australian interests and said complaints from Beijing would not deter ASIO. Burgess also highlighted close operational cooperation with U.S. partners and reiterated a 2023 assessment that espionage and foreign interference targeting Australians are at unprecedented levels.
ASIO Chief Accuses China of 'Wholesale' IP Theft and Political Interference
ASIO chief publicly accuses Chinese security services of large-scale IP theft and political meddling
Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), told the Lowy Institute in Sydney that Chinese security services have engaged in systematic intellectual property theft and interference in political systems — and that Beijing does not appreciate how Western security agencies operate.
“We all spy on each other, but we don’t conduct wholesale intellectual property theft. We don’t actually interfere with political systems and we don’t undertake high-harm activity,” Burgess said.
Burgess said Beijing’s denials reflect a misunderstanding of ASIO’s role and legal standing in a Western liberal democracy. He added that, whenever he publicly names China over such threats, there is an "army" of Chinese officials lodging complaints across public and private sectors in Australia — but not directly to him.
“If they were smart as they should be — and they are smart — they 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,” Burgess said.
He stressed that complaints from Beijing will not deter ASIO. “It won’t stop my resolve, it won’t stop my officers from doing the job and we’ll continue to call them out when I need to,” he said.
Relations between China and Australia hit new lows in 2020 after Canberra passed laws to curb covert foreign interference in domestic politics. Diplomatic and trade ties have softened since Australia’s current government took office in 2022, but security relations remain tense as Australia coordinates with the United States and other partners to counter what they view as expanding Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific.
Burgess also described strong working links with U.S. counterparts and said close operational cooperation with American agencies helps protect Australians. (The original remarks referenced Kash Patel; readers may wish to verify official titles cited in the speech.)
In his 2023 annual threat assessment, Burgess warned that Australia faces an unprecedented level of espionage and foreign interference, with more Australians being targeted by foreign agents than ever before.
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