A White House insider says the arrest of two people accused of operating a Chinese "police station" in New York is just the "tip of the iceberg".
More than three dozen officers with China's national police force have been charged with using social media to harass dissidents inside the US, the Justice Department said Monday.
The cases, taken together, are part of a series of Justice Department prosecutions in recent years aimed at disrupting Chinese government efforts to locate in the US pro-democracy activists and others who are openly critical of Beijing's policies.
White House adviser and former Pentagon operative Tony Shaffer said the Chinese government had been in action across the US.
"They have spied on national defence programs that include weapons programs, nuclear weapons programs," he told Today.
"They've actually had operatives get inside the FBI before."
Shaffer said there would probably be more busts in the "very near future" - and that Australia had to be watchful.
"The Chinese not only were spying on us, they are spying on you, spying on anyone that might potentially oppose them and their designs and aspirations within the Pacific rim," he said.
But he said despite the arrests, combined with Chinese provocation around Taiwan, the Biden administration would want to "go this slow".
"I think our obligation in the United States is to keep all lines of communication and sea trade open," Shaffer said.
"That is something I think we would all agree upon is a common concern that we would all invest our time and military resources in, potentially."
Senator Matt Canavan said Australia had already seen similar situations involving "quasi-police stations".
"I know, speaking to Australians in ethnic communities here too, that they have faced threats and intimidation about their conduct here in Australia, including threats and intimidation to family and relatives that remain in China," he said.
"This has to be stamped out."
He said Australia needed to make sure laws were in place that would enable the prosecution of anybody acting in like manner.
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