Chinese consulate refutes SMH spy claims

The Chinese Consulate-General in Sydney on Tuesday denounced as false Australian media reports of Chinese spies inside Australia's leading universities.

Earlier on Monday, The Sydney Morning Herald published a report about Chinese espionage in Australian universities, prompting Australia to strengthen its counter-intelligence capabilities.

A spokesperson in the Chinese Consulate-General in Sydney issued a statement on Tuesday, claiming that the report distorted the facts.

"There is no factual basis for the report. There is a serious distortion of Chinese students studying in Australia and living situation in the report, which has greatly hurt the feelings of the majority of Chinese students and aroused their strong indignation and anxiety," the statement said.

At present, China and Australia have active exchange in education and China has become Australia's largest international student source, according to the statement published on the consulate-general's website.

"We hope that the media uphold the objective and fair principles to promote cultural our exchanges and cooperation," it said.

The Sydney Morning Herald on Monday published a report titled "Chinese spies at Sydney University," which said China is building large covert informant networks inside Australia's leading universities.

It said much of the monitoring work takes place in higher education institutions including Sydney University and Melbourne University where over 90,000 students from the Chinese mainland are potentially exposed to ideas and activities not readily available at home.

The report quoted a former Chinese diplomat who defected to Australia in 2005 as saying that Chinese diplomats set up Chinese student associations at each university, appointed leaders, and ensured they were well-funded.

Lecturers and Chinese-born students have suffered repercussions for comments they made in Australian classrooms which were reported through Chinese intelligence channels, said the report.

A Chinese student who previously served in the Chinese students association at her university in Australia told the Global Times on condition of anonymity that the consulate normally contacts the association to notify them on policy changes or visa regulations, and the main task of the associations is to help Chinese students ease into local communities, provide aid to their life and organize social gatherings.

An international security expert, who requested anonymity, said that Australia is one of the "Five Eyes," an alliance for in intelligence gathering, and is the main power for intelligence gathering in the Asia-Pacific region."Australia is not qualified to blame China over spying," he said.

Xinhua contributed to this story