‘Don’t hand China think tank win’, warns James Paterson

The Coalition has warned stripping government funding from think tanks such as the Australian Strategic Policy Institute would be a ‘capitulation’ to China.

Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The Coalition has warned stripping government funding from think tanks such as the Australian Strategic Policy Institute would be a “capitulation” to the Chinese Communist Party.

Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson issued the warning in a letter to former foreign affairs secretary Peter Varghese, who is reviewing taxpayer support for strategic policy work.

Senator Paterson said the Varghese review, which some see as an attempt to bring ASPI to heel, needed to preserve the role national security think tanks played in contesting government policy.

China’s 2020 list of grievances against Australia called out the federal government’s funding for an “anti-China think tank” it accused of “spreading untrue reports, peddling lies around Xinjiang and so-called China infiltration”.

Senator Paterson said: “There can be little doubt this is a direct reference to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.”

He said Professor Varghese’s review should “carefully consider the implications of what could be construed as a capitulation by the Australian government in response to concerns from the Chinese Communist Party”.

Former Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade secretary Peter Varghese. Picture: AAP

ASPI, run by former Liberal adviser Justin Bassi, receives about $8 million a year in taxpayer funding – about half its revenue.

The think tank has infuriated the CCP over the years with a raft of globally-influential reports, including the 2020 publication “Uighurs for Sale”, which uncovered China’s use of its Muslim minority population as a slave labour force for global brands.

ASPI’s “China Defence Universities Tracker”, published in 2019, exposed research co-operation between Australian universities and Chinese institutions linked to the People’s Liberation Army.

Senator Paterson said de-funding ASPI would “inevitably be portrayed” as a concession to the Chinese government to improve bilateral relations.

“It would be interpreted as punishment of ASPI for its criticism of the Chinese government, and risks a chilling-effect on all other researchers and think tanks in Australia, especially if they are partially or wholly reliant on government funding.

“We should not want them to shy away from difficult or sensitive research topics that might displease the CCP because they fear the Australian government would cut their funding as a result.”

Professor Varghese’s terms of reference for the review require him to assess funding for strategic policy organisations against the requirements of government. It will include performance evaluations of their activities, and value-for-money assessments.