ASPI suspends China research as Trump’s cuts bite
The think tank had previously received support from the US State Department to support its China-related research.
US President Donald Trump’s deep cuts to public spending have forced the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) to suspend some of its research into China, after the new administration paused grants offered by the State Department.
The Albanese government is weighing whether to increase its own support to Southeast Asia and the Pacific — key targets for Chinese investment and development — as Washington abandons large-scale foreign aid.
The deliberations follow the Trump administration’s decision to slash more than 90% of funding distributed through USAID, the world’s largest single donor of foreign aid, sparking fears that millions of vulnerable people could be at risk.
But separate pauses to grants from the State Department are also causing concern among the international think tank community, which relies heavily on US investment.
