The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation's director general of security Mike Burgess Photo: VCG

Australia's spy chief has accused the so-called hackers working for Chinese government of trying to infiltrate the nation's critical infrastructure and telecommunications networks. In response to the accusation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun slammed the Australian official for repeatedly hurling attacks at China, spreading disinformation and deliberately sowing division and confrontation in recent months.

China firmly opposes this kind of behavior and protested with Australia, Guo said at Wednesday's press conference. "It's hoped that the Australian official can stop making irresponsible statements and do more things conducive to the healthy development of China-Australia relations," Guo added.

Speaking at a business conference in Melbourne, Mike Burgess warned that great-power competition is fueling "unprecedented levels of espionage" that cost the economy an estimated $12.5 billion in 2023-24, ABC News reported. 

"Australia's intelligence agency has long been driven by ideology, repeatedly engaging in baseless smears and attacks against China," Chen Hong, director of New Zealand Studies Centre at East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

On cybersecurity, Chen noted that China has repeatedly stressed that it is, in fact, the biggest victim of cyberattacks. China consistently and firmly opposes all forms of cyber terrorism. 

In his latest address, Burgess even cited "Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon," two hacking groups that he described as "Chinese hacking groups," claiming they have targeted telecommunications networks in Australia and the US, according to the ABC.

Burgess may need a factual update. Global Times learnt from a source in January 2025 that the US hyped the so-called "Volt Typhoon" narrative to discredit China in the first half of 2024, and by year's end fabricated another alleged China-linked hacker group — "Salt Typhoon," to reenforce its "Chinese cyber threat" storyline.

The essence of the so-called "Salt Typhoon" is the large-scale wiretapping and intelligence-gathering activities conducted by US intelligence agencies against their own citizens, including political figures, Li Yan, director of Institute of Technology and Cybersecurity at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.

On April 15 and July 8 2024, China's National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center and 360 Digital Security Group released reports exposing the Volt Typhoon narrative as a fabrication by the US government. The reports said some US cybersecurity agencies promoted the false story to secure more funding.

Chen noted that Australia has long sought to align itself with US strategy against China, repeatedly making irresponsible remarks.

The US fabricating and sensationalizing the so-called hacking alleged "Chinese government" is to elevate the "China threat theory" to the "China cyber threat theory," attempting to isolate China globally and create momentum and shape cyberspace rules in Washington's favor, Chen continued. 

Burgess' remarks echoed recent statements from US and UK intelligence agencies alleging Chinese cyber groups were seeking access across Western critical infrastructure, ABC also reported. 

Chen said Australia's decision to join the US in smearing China was aimed at boosting its influence within the US security framework. "But this is a rather clumsy move," he added.