China pressured authors to uncover Australian government secrets and conducted ‘foreign interference’, local media report

Relations between the two nations have been fraught in recent times over fears of Chinese interference

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China had waged an intelligence operation to gain details of the probe ordered in 2016 by then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. Photo: Reuters

Published: 2:02pm, 8 Apr 2019Updated: 11:02pm, 8 Apr 2019

Beijing agents pressured two Chinese-Australian authors to provide information about a secret Canberra inquiry into Chinese meddling in domestic politics, local media reported on Monday.

Yang Jun, a novelist and democracy advocate, and Feng Chongyi, a Sydney-based university professor and former newspaper publisher, were reportedly interrogated over the classified probe.

The pair are both friends of John Garnaut, a former journalist who was heading up the inquiry.

Relations between the two nations have been fraught in recent times over fears of Chinese interference, and as Beijing flexes its muscle in the Pacific islands which Canberra views as its backyard.

A joint investigation published Monday by The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and national broadcaster ABC found China had waged an intelligence operation to gain details of the probe ordered in 2016 by then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Yang, an Australian citizen whose pen name is Yang Hengjun, has been detained in China since travelling there in January, accused of endangering state security.

Feng Chongyi, a Sydney-based university professor. Photo: Handout

Monday’s report coincided with a plea from his wife for Australia to do more to secure his release.