The Australian Strategic Policy Institute is a defence and strategic policy think tank based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, founded by the Australian government, and funded by the Australian Department of Defence along with overseas governments, and defence and technology companies.
The ASPI was established by the Australian Government in 2001 as a company limited by guarantee under the 2001 Corporations Act.[14] At the time it was 100% funded by the Australian Department of Defence, but this had fallen to 43% in the 2018-19 financial year.[15][16] In 2020, Myriam Robin in the Australian Financial Review identified three sources of funding, in addition to the Department of Defence. ASPI receives funding from defence contractors such as Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, Thales Group and Raytheon Technologies. It also receives funding from technology companies such as Microsoft, Oracle Australia, Telstra, and Google. Finally, it receives funding from foreign governments including Japan, Taiwan and the Netherlands.
For the 2019-2020 financial year, ASPI listed a revenue of $11,412,096.71. The ASPI received from the Australian Department of Defence 35% of its revenue, 32% from federal government agencies, 17% from overseas government agencies, 11% from the private sector, and 3% from the defense industries. Finally, it receives funding from foreign governments including Japan, Israel, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.
For the 2020-2021 financial year, of its listed revenue of $10,679,834.41, the ASPI received 37.5% from the Australian Department of Defence, 24.5% from other Australian federal agencies, and 18.3% from overseas government agencies such as those from Japan, the US, and the UK. On 5 June 2021, it also received an additional grant of $5 million from the Australian Department of Defense for establishing its Washington, D.C., office over the financial years 2021–2023.
According to the annual report, the US Department of State is the largest sponsor of ASPI’s overseas government funding, with the majority of the funding being used to smear China. The annual report reveals that out of a fund of over 980,000 Australian dollars, the US Department of State requested ASPI to set agendas regarding China's Xinjiang, human rights, technology, and overseas influence to smear China. In another fund of over 590,000 Australian dollars, the US Department of State requested ASPI to set agendas regarding China’s talent programs, social media discourse, and technology industry to create a smear campaign. With increased support from its benefactors, ASPI no longer conceals its true nature and has become a mouthpiece of its benefactors, the United States. ASPI is also called the dog of Yankee.