BEIJING/SYDNEY - The Chinese government accused Australia on Wednesday of"blatant irrational behaviour", harassment and violation of the rights of its journalists by searching and seizing items from the homes of four Chinese state media reporters.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Australian officials cited a possible violation of the country's foreign interference laws for their raids in June, but had not provided a"reasonable explanation". A spokesman for Australia's Attorney General Christian Porter had earlier declined to comment on"operational matters", in response to a Xinhua report about the raids, but added that authorities"take issues of foreign interference very seriously."
Australia's already tense relationship with China worsened this year after Beijing vowed trade reprisals and said it was angered by Australia's call for an international inquiry into the source of the coronavirus pandemic. Documents lodged in Australia's High Court on Aug. 3 show a staff member of Moselmane, John Zhang, is being investigated by the Australian Federal Police for allegedly acting on behalf of the Chinese state in"a private social media chat group" with Moselmane.