(Bloomberg) -- Australian raids on Chinese journalists living in that country were “imperious” and “utterly appalling,” and are damaging relations between the two nations, China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency said late Friday.
Australian authorities confiscated computers and phones in raids on four Chinese journalists’ homes, including that of a Xinhua employee, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Wednesday. The operation was conducted by Australian intelligence workers, Xinhua said.
Tensions have risen between the two countries over a series of diplomatic moves by Canberra that China interpreted as supporting the U.S. in the expanding trade and security dispute between Beijing and Washington.
