Australia to ban foreign interference in politics

SYDNEY, Australia — Australia will ban foreign interference in its politics, motivated largely by Russia’s alleged involvement in last year’s U.S. election and China’s growing influence on world politics.

As a U.S. investigation into election meddling from Russia continues, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Tuesday that foreign influence on politics would be outlawed under treason and espionage laws.

Turnbull told reporters that foreign powers were making unprecedented and sophisticated attempts to influence the political process in Australia and elsewhere.

He added in a statement that Australia must “withstand attempts by foreign powers to interfere or influence.”

The laws would criminalize acts such as Labor Party senator Sam Dastyari’s soliciting of a donation from a Chinese businessman, for which he was recently demoted to the opposition backbench.