Alleged Chinese spy network used LinkedIn to target more than 100 Australians

An alleged Chinese spying network used LinkedIn to approach more than 100 people linked to Australia, according to an investigation based on records obtained by the Australian Federal Police. The targets included former Queensland premier Steven Miles, an AFP commander and several senior federal officials. The network is also linked to the case of businessman Alexander Csergo, who became the first person convicted under Australia's foreign interference laws.

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The investigation says two LinkedIn accounts connected to suspected Chinese spies amassed thousands of connections worldwide and used profiles presenting themselves as think-tank representatives. Between 2016 and 2025, the accounts targeted Australians working in government, policing and trade, offering paid consultancy in return for what they described as valuable advice. The alleged spies reached out to 58 of those connections, and some recipients shared personal contact details.

The AFP obtained the LinkedIn records during its investigation into Csergo, who was sentenced last month to three years and six months in jail for reckless foreign interference. The records show that the same network also approached people linked to government agencies and state trade and investment bodies. The AFP has alleged that the operation was conducted by China's Ministry of State Security, which it describes as the country's principal civilian intelligence agency.

The case matters because it points to a long-running effort to identify and cultivate potential sources through ordinary professional networking platforms. The alleged use of consultancy offers and think-tank identities suggests a method designed to appear routine while seeking access to sensitive information. For Australia, the case adds to concerns about foreign interference and the vulnerability of public officials, police and trade figures to covert recruitment attempts.

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It also places renewed attention on the legal and investigative framework Australia has built around foreign interference. Csergo's conviction is significant because it was the first under those laws, and the new allegations suggest the same network may have had a broader reach than previously understood. The involvement of senior political, policing and federal administrative figures raises the stakes for how such cases are assessed and monitored.

The investigation describes a pattern of contact that stretched over nearly a decade, with the accounts building large networks before making direct approaches. That timeline suggests persistence rather than a single isolated campaign. It also indicates that the alleged activity was not limited to one sector, but extended across government, policing and trade-related circles.

The Chinese Embassy in Canberra rejected the AFP's claims as entirely groundless, according to the report. The AFP has not publicly detailed every person approached, and the full extent of any information obtained remains unclear. What happens next will depend on whether further charges, official findings or additional disclosures emerge from the Csergo investigation and related inquiries.

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