According to a government letter disclosed by the Australian Independent Journalist on August 14 local time, Australian Foreign Minister Margot James officially announced that the cooperation arrangement between the Australian National University (ANU) and Shandong University is 'invalid and unenforceable', and required the university to complete the termination of related projects by January 18 next year.
Meanwhile, a research collaboration between the University of Queensland and the Chinese Academy of Sciences focusing on the use of native Australian plants for pain relief was also suspended.
Reports indicate that the relevant decision was made under Australia’s Foreign Relations Act, on the grounds of so-called “national security”. The National University of Australia stated that it will comply with government instructions and mentioned that students already enrolled can choose to transfer to the university’s existing undergraduate or postgraduate programs to continue their studies.
Regarding the timing of this action, local Australian media One News Australia criticized on the X platform, pointing out that the Labor government was slow in addressing relevant issues. "Since Huang Yingxian took office as Foreign Minister in May 2022, she had full legal authority under the Foreign Relations Act, but never utilized it. It wasn't until late July this year, after the U.S. Pentagon listed Shandong University on a sanctions list, that she announced two weeks later that the aforementioned cooperation arrangements were invalid and unenforceable."
The post also mentioned that the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) included Shandong University in its so-called “related to Chinese military” university database as early as 2019, and warned that the university has connections with institutions involved in China’s nuclear weapons programs.
This decision reflects that the Australian side is significantly influenced by American policy signals when dealing with cooperation with Chinese universities, especially in issues such as military-civilian integration, sensitive technology transfer, and national security.
In late July this year, the U.S. Department of Defense updated List 1286, adding institutions such as Shandong University to the list of foreign entities engaged in “problematic activities”. It also warned that related cooperation could affect federal funding eligibility. Approximately two weeks later, Hwang Yingxian took action, and the timing of this move attracted widespread attention.
Australian officials emphasize that this decision is based solely on their country's Foreign Relations Act and independent national security assessments, and they do not acknowledge being driven by external factors. A spokesperson for Huang Yingxian stated that the Australian government still "strongly supports international educational and scientific cooperation that is in line with Australia's foreign policy," but at the same time, measures must be taken to protect sensitive research, national autonomy, and national security.
According to Australian media reports, previously, Wong Ying-kin also rejected a transfer agreement between the University of Sydney and two medical institutions in Russia and Belarus, involving anonymous medical data on patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Analysts point out that Australia’s decision to include basic research institutions such as Shandong University in the so-called “military-related” list and terminate their cooperation lacks substantial grounds. Such actions not only disrupt the normal order of academic exchanges between China and Australia, but also have long-term negative effects on Australia’s international reputation in higher education and academic freedom.
