‘If it weren’t so sinister, we’d laugh’: probe of China researcher raises fears in New Zealand

Professor Anne-Marie Brady is being investigated by her university after she named some local academics as working with institutions that allegedly have ties to China’s military

The research was submitted to a New Zealand parliamentary committee in July and was also published by the Washington-based Wilson Center

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Anne-Marie Brady is a professor at the University of Canterbury. Photo: Handout

Published: 10:00am, 21 Oct 2020Updated: 11:08am, 4 Mar 2021

A New Zealand professor known for her research on Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence is facing disciplinary action after highlighting fellow academics’ alleged ties to Beijing, sparking heated debate about the importance and limits of academic freedom.

Anne-Marie Brady, a professor at the University of Canterbury (UC) in Christchurch, is being investigated by her institution following complaints from a number of local academics named in a paper about the transfer of sensitive research and technology to the Chinese military.

The paper, Holding a Pen in One Hand and Gripping a Gun in the Other, raised alarm about New Zealand’s “commercial and educational links with PLA-affiliated organisations and individuals”, which it said posed “national security, as well as reputational, ethical and intellectual property risks” to the country.

Brady, a prominent critic of Beijing known for her work on Chinese influence overseas, named a number of New Zealand academics and universities, including UC, as being linked to Chinese universities with ties to the Chinese military.

The research was submitted to a parliamentary committee in New Zealand in July and was also published by the Washington-based Wilson Center, where Brady is a fellow.