China accuses Australia of espionage

China has released a series of images that purport to show evidence of Australian espionage.

The photos, allegedly uncovered by Chinese law-enforcement agencies, show wads of cash and other “spy tools”. The allegations were levelled by China’s state media, which claimed Australia is ramping up spying efforts against Beijing as diplomatic ties come under pressure. The Chinese Communist Party-run

Global Times newspaper accuses Australia of waging an intensifying espionage offensive through sending spies to China. It also claims Australia is instigating defections, spying on Chinese students and feeding “fake news” to the media to hype up theories about Chinese spying.

The story, which is based on an anonymous source from a Chinese law-enforcement agency, says Australia tried to install wire taps in the Chinese embassy in Canberra.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison dismissed the allegations.

“I wouldn’t be relying on Chinese state media for your sources for questions,” he said.

The Global Times published photos of “spying materials” including a compass, a USB flash drive, a notebook, a mask, gloves and a map of Shanghai, said to have been seized from arrested Australian agents.

The state-owned newspaper warned Chinese agencies would take a harder line on Australian espionage operations.

Liberal MP and former diplomat Dave Sharma suggested the report lacked credibility.

“This is a classic disinformation campaign designed to muddy the waters,” he told Sky News.

It comes after NSW MP Shaoquett Moselmane was raided by the national security agency and federal police over allegations Chinese agents had infiltrated his office.

Moselmane was last week suspended from the Labour Party and faces a suspension from parliament.

In his first public comments since the raids, Moselmane said he was not a suspect in the investigation.

“I have done nothing wrong. I have never jeopardised our country,” he said.