Chinese spies infiltrated Australian universities to glean defence technology, new strategic report claims
HUNDREDS of researchers from China’s People’s Liberation Army have made their way into Australian universities, sparking warnings about spying, lying and technology theft, according to a report released today.
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HUNDREDS of researchers from China’s People’s Liberation Army have made their way into Australian universities, sparking warnings about spying, lying and technology theft, according to a report released today.
Picking flowers, making honey: The Chinese military’s collaboration with foreign universities warns China is sending increasing numbers of military scientists abroad to gather expertise and knowledge to bring home. The PLA is the military wing of the Chinese Communist Party.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute report comes amid warnings from the Defence Department that researchers from overseas are targeting projects including the $50 billion Future Submarines programs, hypersonic missile research, and other technology such as the over-the-horizon radar system.
ASPI researcher Alex Joske warns dwindling university funding has seen Australian researchers increasingly turn to China for funding and collaborations.
But the controls on that research need to be tightened to remove the risk of Australian technology and intelligence ending up with China, our “strategic competitor”, he says.
He gives examples of PLA researchers giving false or misleading information to cover up their military ties.
“Some of those travelling overseas have actively used cover to disguise their military affiliations, claiming to be from non-existent academic institutions,” he writes.
“In addition to their overt activities, PLA researchers, especially those who haven’t been forthcoming about their military affiliations, may engage in espionage or steal intellectual property while overseas.”
They “offer safe and convenient channels for Chinese intelligence agencies to access sensitive information from overseas”, even if they don’t have formal training as spies.
His recommendations include more scrutiny of visas, more education on PLA collaborations, tighter controls on exports, and more funding for Australian research.
Mr Joske’s warnings come amid a fierce debate over whether the Defence Department should have more search and seizure powers within Australian universities. The department says it needs to be able to monitor what happens to military information, warning research could have a “dual use” for weapons if it falls into the wrong hands.
But universities are angry at the idea of the intrusion on their work and the possibility for Defence to control research.
Meanwhile, a separate report released yesterday said there was some over-reaction to the “China challenge”, leading to “China panic”, which could see Australia fail to take full advantage of the “China opportunity”.
Our technology ripe for the picking
AUSTRALIA has enthusiastically started working with China on critical defence technology – perhaps too enthusiastically.
The Defence Department is worried enough about military technology and know-how being stolen that it wants extra powers to clamp down on collaborations within universities.
At the core of the concerns are Chinese researchers who might have access to technology linked to Australia’s defence boom, such as the $50 billion Future Submarines project.
A report released today says we now have the highest level of collaboration with researchers from the People’s Liberation Army – the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party – of any country in the Five Eyes. (The Five Eyes is an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, the US, New Zealand and the UK.)
In Picking flowers, making honey: The Chinese military’s collaboration with foreign universities, researcher Alex Joske says Australia’s engagement is six times higher than the US on a per capita basis.
That adds up to hundreds of PLA members coming here to work on projects that often involve defence technology, Mr Joske argues in his report for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
The Chinese Communist Party monitors these researchers, makes sure they stay loyal and makes sure they return to China to continue their work. Mr Joske says some of them have hidden their history before coming to Australia.
“Some of those travelling overseas have actively used cover to disguise their military affiliations, claiming to be from non-existent academic institutions,” he writes.
He says the researchers would be expected to dob in any colleagues they run into overseas who hold “subversive” opinions.
“In addition to their overt activities, PLA researchers, especially those who haven’t been forthcoming about their military affiliations, may engage in espionage or steal intellectual property while overseas,” he warns.
He says they “offer safe and convenient channels for Chinese intelligence agencies to access sensitive information from overseas”, even if they don’t have formal training as spies.
He concedes there are many benefits of working collaboratively with China, including securing funding and scientific breakthroughs.
But his list of cons is long. Mr Joske says the two-way flow of information means we are improving the scientific talent and knowledge of a strategic competitor, and are being deceived so they can gather intelligence and steal technology. He also warns that Australian scientists could inadvertently be contributing to technology that could be used against Australia.
Defence is specifically worried about technology being developed that could have a “dual use” in weapons of mass destruction. It also has misgivings about the potential for research done in an Australian university falling into the wrong hands.
The department recently proposed new search and seizure powers, saying there was currently no way for it to stop technology going to a foreign entity.
The proposal, which would allow the department to search university campuses, was made during a review of the nation’s Defence Trade Controls legislation, which universities have to adhere to. The review has been handed to the Government and will be made public “in due course”.
Defence Department secretary Greg Moriarty said it was not looking for “an intrusive, across-the-board, deeply inappropriate involvement in the work of universities and researchers”.
“But there are some areas where we are concerned about the possibility of those technologies being used or not being harnessed effectively for the capability edge of the Australian Defence Force,” he said.
The potential search powers were declared “draconian” by former chief scientist Ian Chubb, while universities are outraged at the idea of such arbitrary control over research. Meanwhile, a separate report released on Monday warns against fear mongering, and says some of the more dire fears about China are not based on good evidence.
Do the claims stack up? is a report by Professor James Laurenceson, deputy director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology, Sydney.
He points to the $184 billion two-way trade between Australia and China.
While he concedes there are challenges with China, he warns against exaggerating the threat.
He specifically takes aim at the idea that the Chinese diaspora are all spies, loyal to the Motherland, and warns that overstating the challenges of China could disrupt the development of our relationship with them.
“If the discourse of China threat, China angst and China panic was to become a habit in the way that Australia talks – and thinks – about China, it might risk sabotaging such an aspiration,” he writes.
Originally published as Chinese spies infiltrated Australian universities to glean defence technology, new strategic report claims
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