May 20, 2024
Australia's national science agency has cut ties with a Chinese researcher linked to weapons of mass destruction, heaping pressure on the university that continues to back him.
In response to national security concerns raised by Liberal frontbencher James Paterson, CSIRO confirmed it had "ceased working" with PhD candidate Xiaolong Zhu in August 2022.
The 35-year-old Chinese national is subject to a 2020 finding by the Australian government that he may be "directly or indirectly associated" with WMD proliferation, resulting in the rejection of his application for a visa to develop cutting-edge drone systems at the Queensland University of Technology.
Senator Paterson, Coalition home affairs and cyber security spokesman, last week wrote to QUT vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil asking why Mr Zhu remained attached to its Centre for Robotics.
Separately, he sought an explanation from CSIRO boss Doug Hilton of the agency's support for Mr Zhu through scholarships worth at least $75,000.
National security experts say Mr Zhu's work is consistent with "dual-use" research that could be readily applied to warfighting by a foreign power such as China.
Replying to Senator Paterson on behalf of Professor Sheil, who was on leave, the acting vicechancellor, Christopher BarnerKowollik, said the university did "not comment on sensitive matters concerning national security".
QUT had earlier told The Australian that Mr Zhu, as a "lawful non-citizen of Australia with study rights", was continuing in his PhD research into drone navigation technology.
Senator Paterson said the university's decision to "apparently stand by" him was even more questionable in light of CSIRO's decision to cut the researcher loose.
"CSIRO's advice that they ceased work with Mr Zhu in 2022 is very welcome," Senator Paterson said.
"No visa applicant refused on national security grounds should be the recipient of taxpayer-funded research grants.
"But QUT's decision to apparently stand by their student and his research is now even more questionable. Do they really believe they are in a better position to judge national security risk than the federal government?
"What information do they think they have that Home Affairs, the CSIRO, the Foreign Minister and the Federal Court does not. Their handling of this case raises major questions about QUT's ability to safeguard Australia's research security and our current policy settings." In a statement to this masthead on Sunday, QUT confirmed that Mr Zhu continued to pursue a higher degree by research and receive a "tuition fee waiver".
Asked why the university had maintained its relationship with Mr Zhu when CSIRO had not, a spokesperson said: "QUT observes all its legal requirements with regard to national security and foreign interference and follows all lawful directions from the authorities." On Senator Paterson's criticism, the spokesperson said: "QUT cannot comment on CSIRO matters that we have no insight into." Defending CSIRO's management of research security, a spokesperson for the agency said it had implemented a range of specific measures to counter the threat of foreign intervention including the Australian government's protective security policy framework, an information security manual and a 2021 research engagement sensitivities tool recognised "as a best practice process for managing the risk".
"We continue to consult closely with our national security colleagues in government and have widely benchmarked our approach with our colleagues in the Australian research sector and our counterparts in the US, UK and Canada," the CSIRO spokesperson said.
Over the past decade, four other foreign researchers enrolled in Australian PhD programs one Iranian, three Chinese are known to have had potential links to WMD cited when their visa applications were rejected.
Neither they nor the Australian universities sponsoring them was given reasons.
Academic Brendan WalkerMunro, who has studied research security in this country, said the capacity of the Home Affairs Minister or a delegate to refuse or cancel a student visa on national security grounds had been widened in April to cover the "unreasonable risk of unwanted transfer of critical technology".
Mr Zhu's lawyers say they are considering whether to appeal his latest knockback in the Federal Circuit and Family Court. He has declined to be interviewed.
Senator Paterson has said Mr Zhu's research into operating drones in GPS-denied environments on civil search and rescue missions was a classic example of dual-use work that had clear military application.
