Australia Probes Alleged Chinese Plot To Install Manchurian Candidate To Spy In Its Parliament

The Australian intelligence agencies are investigating allegations into a plot aimed at planting a Chinese spy in the nation's parliament, officials have confirmed.

The allegations -- first aired by local network Nine -- asserted that a suspected Chinese espionage ring approached a Chinese-Australian man to run as an MP, a BBC report said.

"Australians can be reassured that ASIO (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation) was previously aware of matters that have been reported today (25 November), and has been actively investigating them," ASIO director-general Mike Burgess said in a statement, and added "Hostile foreign intelligence activity continues to pose a real threat to our nation and its security."

The Australian government has said it is taking the allegations seriously, following a rare public statement from the nation's domestic spy agency.

China is yet to respond to the claims.

On Sunday (24 November), Nine's 60 Minutes programme reported that suspected Chinese agents approached a luxury car dealer, Nick Zhao, ahead of Australia's general election -- which took place in May.

They allegedly offered him $680,000 to fund his run for a Melbourne seat as a candidate for the ruling Liberal Party, of which Zhao was already a member.

Zhao gave information about the alleged approach to the ASIO in 2018, Nine reported. "I am in Australia but I feel censored by Chinese students," he said before being found dead in a hotel room in Melbourne in March.

It was his death that prompted the inquiry.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)