ISTANBUL

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was forced to evacuate his official residence in Canberra on Tuesday due to a bomb threat linked to a Chinese dance group, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on Wednesday.

Banned in China, the Shen Yun group is scheduled to stage multiple performances across Australia in the coming months.

According to the report, Shen Yun’s local organizers received an email falsely claiming that explosives had been planted near the prime minister’s residence and would be set off if the group’s shows went ahead.

"Large quantities of nitroglycerine explosives have been placed around the Australian Prime Minister's Lodge, located on Adelaide Avenue in the Deakin area of Canberra, Australia," the message said.

"If you insist on proceeding with the performance, then the Prime Minister's Lodge will be blown into ruins and blood will flow like a river."

According to ABC, Shen Yun received the threat on Tuesday and passed it on to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) the same day.

Albanese was evacuated to another location for several hours while the AFP conducted a search at the lodge, where they determined there was no threat.

"A thorough search of a protection establishment was undertaken, and nothing suspicious was located," the AFP said in a statement.

Beijing said it "consistently opposes all forms of violent attacks."

"It must be pointed out that the so-called Shen Yun performance is not a normal cultural activity at all, but a political tool used by the Falun Gong organization to spread cult information and amass wealth," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

"In recent years, the so-called Shen Yun performing arts troupe's systematic abuse, illegal employment, and mind control of its staff have been repeatedly exposed."