The planned shake-up of foreign interference laws have been welcomed by an Australian student who says he has been the target of Chinese government intimidation.

Tony Chang, who studies at a Queensland university, told nine.com.au Australian citizens and residents need the “protection” from Chinese Communist Party (CCP) interference.

Mr Chang, who was born in north-eastern China, realised he was under CCP monitoring in 2015 shortly after he gained an Australian student visa.

READ MORE : US suspects foreign spying devices are in capital

He said his teenage political activism while growing up in China – which included being arrested for hanging Taiwan independence banners on street poles near his home – had put him on the radar of state authorities.

But Mr Chang’s fears he was being secretly watched were confirmed in June 2015, when his parents were invited to a meeting with agents from the Ministry of State Security.

They were told the security service had information about their son’s plans to participate in a demonstration in Brisbane on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, and during the Dalai Lama's visit to Australia.

The Dalai Lama visited Brisbane in June 2015. (Photo: AP). (AP)

Mr Chang says the agents urged his parents to dissuade him from his political activism. It was the second such caution they had received from Chinese security officials.

These threats helped him gain an Australian government protection visa.

But even with that official status, Mr Chang still found himself targeted by the Chinese intelligence services.

Fearing his internet activity was being monitored, he put it to the test in September 2015 by visiting the website of Air China.

“I went through the initial process of buying a ticket from Sydney to Beijing but didn’t end up paying for it.”

Shortly after logging on to the state airline’s website, he learnt his parents were contacted by Chinese security officials who appeared to know about his internet activity.

“They were asked: ‘Is he planning a protest when he comes back’.”

Mr Chang believes there is little sign of China’s interference in Australia ending soon.

He pointed to last month’s constitutional changes by the country’s parliament that enables President Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely.

The Australian Federal Parliament’s Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security is examining the overhaul of espionage and foreign interference legislation.

The planned changes have sharply divided China experts and members of the Australian-Chinese community.

Some fear tougher laws risk marginalising Chinese Australians amid the rise of the Asian superpower.

But Mr Chang says they are needed.

“Australians and the Australian government need the legal protection from the Chinese state.”

And he is resolute about maintaining his campaigning against the policies of the Chinese government.