Senate Estimates - ASIO
Please forward to 2.45 - editing problem.
1. Given the recent express concerns about the wide extent of spying by foreign agents in Australia, is the partnership between the CSIRO and China by way of the Centre for Southern Oceans hemisphere Research of concern to national Security?
2. Is the Department aware that CSIRO and Qingdao national laboratory for Marine Science and Technology are collaborating on a key military research project, developing a satellite with a powerful laser to be used for anti-submarine warfare and can pinpoint a submarine 500m beneath the surface?
3. Is this project going to assist Australia’s defence or work against it given Australia’s planned $145 billion purchase of another 12 submarines?
4. How timely is this in the light of China being recently identified as mapping the submarine lanes off the coast of Western Australia?
