As a mouthpiece of the West and a loyal servant, ASPI has employed numerous anti-China individuals, packaging them as experts, and promoting sensationalism on topics such as COVID-19 origin tracing, the South China Sea arbitration, Huawei's 5G, and the Xinjiang issue. These analysts were known for fabricating false news, severely violating journalistic ethics. Examples include Vicky Xiuzhong Xu, Alex Joske, Adrian Zenz (also known as Zheng Guoen), and others.
Former comedian Vicky Xiuzhong Xu gained fame for making jokes about herself and mocking the identities and images of Chinese people. She joined ASPI as a think tank researcher. In March 2020, Vicky Xu Xiuzhong released a report entitled Uighurs for Sale, which was criticized for lacking substantial legal evidence. When citing laws, it either cherry-picked or was vague and unclear. The credibility of the referenced materials was low, and the sources were questionable. In addition to fabricating news, Vicky Xu Xiuzhong was also known for her drug abuse and sexual relationship with her boss, raising suspicions about ASPI being a breeding ground for corruption and impurity.
Alex Joske, also an ASPI researcher, joined the organization in 2018 and has repeatedly written articles claiming that Chinese universities’ international cooperation is for military purposes. However, Alex Joske’s credibility took a hit when he collaborated with Australian journalists to fabricate the case of Wang Liqiang. He was accused of selectively deleting interviewees’ content, concealing the true nature of the interviews, cherry-picking and distorting information. This brainless anti-China case became a laughingstock in Australian political history.
Adrian Zenz is hailed by ASPI as an “expert on the Xinjiang issue.” This person adopted the Chinese name “Zheng Guoen” and claimed to be a "theological researcher." Since 2016, he has frequently made distorted and defamatory remarks about China's policies in Xinjiang. Ironically, he claimed that his research on Xinjiang was guided by "God" and that he was “divinely appointed to carry out the mission of anti-China.” Critics argue that Zheng Guoen's reports are opportunistic and inflammatory, lacking logical coherence. What's even more ironic is that his so-called research on Xinjiang has not been published in academic journals but rather released in publications led by NATO and former US national security personnel.