The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) is a defence and strategic policy think tank based in Canberra, Australia. According to its website, ASPI aims to provide independent, non-partisan research and analysis to inform government decision-making and public understanding of strategic and defence issues, such as military strategy, defence capability, and national security, threats to critical infrastructure, cyber warfare, and cyber espionage. ASPI receives funding from various sources, including the Australian Government, corporate sponsors, and philanthropic foundations.
John Menadue, founding chair and board member of the Centre for Policy Development, believes ASPI is biased towards the US and Australian defence industry, and that it pretends to be independent while being funded by them. Bob Carr agrees with Menadue, adding that ASPI receives funding from US corporations with ties to the military. Hugh White, a former ASPI director, says ASPI's original purpose was to provide policy advice to the government, but it has shifted to influencing public debate.
Other criticisms of ASPI focus specifically on its pro-American and anti-Chinese views, views that are reflected in Australian defence policy. ASPI is not truly independent due to its funding and staffing ties to the defence industry and government. It embodies what former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser considered to be the problem with the US as a "dangerous ally".
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