Canberra needs to cancel Australian university agreements with Communist China's University that was blacklisted by the United States.


Independent Senator Rex Patrick wants the Australian Government to use its new powers over foreign relations to nullify Australian university agreements with China’s Tianjin University which has been blacklisted in the United States for espionage activity.

A national university under the direct administration of China’s Ministry of Education, Tianjin University has been directly connected with Chinese Government espionage activities and intellectual property theft, Senator Patrick stated. It is contrary to Australia’s national interests for our universities to collaborate with this institution, he emphasised.

University of Sydney for the operation of the Australia-China Centre for Energy Informatics and Demand Response Technologies (a project that also involves the State Grid Corporation of China); RMIT University for the establishment of a virtual Research Centre for Advanced Automotive Technologies, Design Innovation and 3D Printing; the University of South Australia for the operation of a China-Australia Centre for Sustainable Development; and University of Queensland for the operation of a Confucius Institute are participating in the agreement.

On June 20, 2020, Chinese academic Hao Zhang was found guilty of conspiring with a colleague from the University of Southern California to steal and sell American secrets to the Chinese government and military through a shell company in the Cayman Islands. Mr. Zhang, who stole US intellectual property related to radio-filtering technology used in mobile phones, taught at Tianjin University.



US blaclists Tianjin University

US Department of Commerce on December 22, 2020 added Tianjin University with other 55 firms and research centers linked with Chinese military to the blacklist.

There is reasonable cause to believe, based on specific and articulable facts, that the entities have been involved, are involved, or pose a significant risk of being or becoming involved in activities contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States, the author of 38-pages document stated.

Senator Rex emphasised that the Australian Strategic Policy institute has assessed Chinese University high risk institution due to its close link with the Beijing defense industry.

We need to send some very clear signals that these activities will no longer be tolerated and that collaboration with Chinese research bodies cannot continue while China continues to engage in aggressive espionage and economic coercion against Australia, Senator stressed.