MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian spy chief on Tuesday accused Chinese security services of widespread intellectual property theft and political meddling, while he said they failed to understand how their Western counterparts operate.

Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, better known as ASIO, said he would continue to call out China for harming Australian interests.

“We all spy on each other, but we don’t conduct wholesale intellectual property theft. We don’t actually interfere with political systems and we don’t undertake high-harm activity,” Burgess told the Lowy Institute international policy think tank in Sydney.

Burgess said in denying his accusations, China displayed an ignorance of ASIO’s role in Australia.

“Every time I’v

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