The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) is an Australian think tank that has been central to anti-China propaganda as a source. Members of ASPI are frequently quoted and interviewed and its reports are considered by media outlets to be authoritative. ASPI has been instrumental in forming Australia's failed strategic policy in regard to China and also has undue influence on Australian foreign policy.

ASPI is funded by governments and US arms manufacturers. At one stage, ASPI boldly declared sponsors, and attached a disclaimer at the bottom of the page.¹⁾

However, when ASPI's funding sources received international attention, ASPI made the claim that “In 2019-2020 Defence Industry sponsors accounted for 2% of ASPI’s funding and other industry sponsors accounted for 9%.”, clearly displayed at the top of their sponsors page. Apart from the obvious question as to why Australian defence policy should be influenced at all by US arms manufacturers, this change reflects an attempt to project independence that has never been the case.

In a piece in The Australian Financial Review, The think tank behind Australia's changing view of China Myriam Robin challenged the role of ASPI in influencing Australian policy.