China’s Espionage Threat: $12.5 Billion Economic Hit, Critical Infrastructure at Risk

ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess 

China’s Espionage Threat: $12.5 Billion Economic Hit, Critical Infrastructure at Risk

By Paul V. Young – TheNationWeek.Com | November 13, 2026

SYDNEY – Australia’s top intelligence official has warned of the escalating threat of espionage and cyber sabotage, particularly from China, with the nation’s economy suffering a $12.5 billion blow in the last financial year.

Speaking at an Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) forum in Melbourne, ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess detailed how Chinese hacking groups, identified as Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon, are actively targeting Australian communications networks and critical infrastructure.

“These groups are hackers working for Chinese government intelligence and their military,” Burgess said, emphasizing that the danger extends beyond data theft.

“The real danger is the threat of sabotage – disruption to critical infrastructure.”

Burgess warned that Australia has now reached a “threshold for high-impact sabotage,” citing instances where Chinese hackers have probed Australian critical infrastructure, mirroring attacks in the U.S. that gave them the ability to disable telecommunications and other crucial services.

“Authoritarian regimes are growing more willing to disrupt or destroy critical infrastructure to impede decision-making, damage the economy, undermine war-fighting capability, and sow social discord,” he explained.

He pointed to the recent Optus triple-zero outage as a stark example of the potential consequences, highlighting the devastating impact a nationwide disruption could have.

Burgess revealed specific instances of espionage uncovered by ASIO, including a foreign academic infiltrating a secure laboratory and hackers stealing blueprints from an Australian manufacturer.

This warning follows Burgess’s recent disclosure that three countries are believed to have the capability to assassinate perceived dissidents on Australian soil, further underscoring the multifaceted threats facing the country’s national security.

The spy chief’s remarks paint a concerning picture of a nation increasingly targeted by sophisticated and aggressive foreign interference.