Chinese spying fears revived by security probe into Australian universities
- An inquiry into foreign interference in Australia’s higher education sector, which relies heavily on exchanges with China, will report its findings in July
- Universities Australia and academics have cautioned against overreach, warning that driving political agendas could result in an ‘own goal’
In its submission to the inquiry, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation said it was aware of cyberattacks aimed at acquiring intellectual property and of academics being threatened and intimidated by actors looking to pass on their sensitive research to a foreign country.
“The open and collaborative nature of our research institutions is the foundation for many of Australia’s scientific and technological accomplishments,” the spy agency said, without mentioning any country by name. “However, international research partners with differing political, cultural and moral values can seek to exploit this.”
The inquiry was established in November amid allegations that China’s talent-recruitment programmes had tapped numerous researchers from Australian universities to work on research with military and other applications potentially at odds with Australia’s national interests.
Alex Joske, a researcher with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a think tank partly funded by the Australian, US and British governments, said in a submission to the inquiry last month he had identified 325 participants drawn from Australian research institutions. They included many who appear to have had “conflicting commitments, such as maintaining jobs in China through talent-recruitment programmes while also employed full time in Australia”, he said.