Key facts
- Justin Bassi, executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), is set to leave the think tank.
- Bassi, who previously served as chief of staff to Liberal Foreign Minister Marise Payne, has been critical of the government's foreign policy approach.
- A recent review commissioned by the Labor party recommended increased government influence over ASPI's board and the closure of its Washington D.C. office.
- Bassi labeled the review as "clear interference" that threatened ASPI's independence.
- ASPI has faced criticism from some Labor MPs and Beijing for its reports on China, including allegations of foreign interference and human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
Justin Bassi, the executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) and a vocal critic of the current government's foreign policy, is set to depart the think tank. Bassi previously held the position of chief of staff to Liberal Foreign Minister Marise Payne.
A review commissioned by the Labor party in 2024 recommended that the government have a permanent say in ASPI's board membership and that its Washington D.C. office be scrapped. Bassi criticized this review, calling it "clear interference" that undermined ASPI's independence.
The Albanese government has focused on stabilizing Australia's relationship with China, its largest trading partner, following a significant downturn under the previous Morrison government. In 2020, China imposed tariffs on Australian goods after Australia called for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19.
Many members of the Labor party privately believe that ASPI is partisan and hinders Australia's efforts to improve relations with China. This sentiment has been publicly echoed by prominent Labor figures, including former Prime Minister Paul Keating, former Foreign Minister Bob Carr, and Kim Carr.
Beijing has also targeted ASPI with criticism, labeling it "anti-China" and including funding for the organization on a list of 14 grievances with Australia, which a Chinese diplomat leaked in 2020. ASPI has published several reports concerning China, addressing allegations of foreign interference in Australia and human rights abuses in Xinjiang. A leaked Chinese dossier stated that Australia provided funding to an "anti-China think tank for spreading untrue reports, peddling lies around Xinjiang and so-called China infiltration aimed at manipulating public opinion against China."
Furthermore, a 2024 report from The Nightly indicated that Chinese state hackers had identified ASPI as a target.
Last year, Bassi authored an op-ed in The Australian criticizing the government's handling of rising antisemitism in Australia, drawing a comparison to German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer's stance against Nazi Germany. This comparison reportedly caused anger within the Prime Minister's Office.
In other personnel changes, ASPI council chair Gai Brodtmann, a former Labor MP, departed the organization in June. Former Labor senator David Feeney, who has ties to Defence Minister Richard Marles, was appointed to ASPI's board in 2025 and is now serving as acting chair.