A university professor who believes she's been targeted by Chinese spies has reportedly had her office and home checked for listening devices.

Anne-Marie Brady, a politics professor at the University of Canterbury, specialises in Chinese politics. Her home and office have been broken into a number of times over the past year, NZME reports, and police have enlisted the help of both Interpol and the Security Intelligence Service (SIS) in cracking the case.

While the SIS refused to comment, NZME said university staff confirmed the sweep. Nanette Cormack, deputy secretary of the Tertiary Education Union, said it reminded her of New Zealand's most famous espionage incident.

"Obviously the Rainbow Warrior comes to mind, in terms of another country coming to New Zealand and breaking laws to try and stop something they don't like."

Prof Brady's home was broken into last December, and in February crooks took three laptops and phones, but ignored other valuables.

She believes the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is using New Zealand as a "test zone" for its campaigns of influence, which aim to further its political and economic agendas.