A former defected spy for the Chinese Communist Party has revealed to a defense conference that China has more than 1,200 spies currently working in Australia.
The former Chinese spy named Eric told the Defending Australia Summit that China has increased its spying activities in Australia, Europe and the US to target dissidents considered traitors back home.
More Than 1,200 Spies in Australia
The conference was also attended by the Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles and was told that China is recruiting spies to work in Australia.
Previous reports have revealed that the CCP is recruiting tourists, businessmen and students working on high-tech projects to steal state secrets of the host countries.
Interpreter Left Early
An interpreter who was translating Eric’s speech left the conference early out of the fear that he might be targeted by China.
Eric worked under multiple Chinese spy networks between 2008 and 2023 and has since defected and now lives in Australia.
