Australian university staff and students should be trained on national security issues, to help combat foreign interference – according to a Parliamentary Joint Committee.

The Committee, chaired by Senator James Paterson, made 27 recommendations aimed at securing and protecting valuable, taxpayer-funded research.

He told Oliver Peterson, Confucius Institutes pose a major concern.

“I think they can be pretty clear about what the intentions of the Chinese Government are here, they are not doing this out of the goodness of their hearts,” he told Perth LIVE.

“And they’re not doing this without their own national interest in mind.”

Senator Paterson says the Federal Government needs to decide whether university agreements to have Confucius Institutes should be allowed to continue.

“I think universities need to reflect themselves, about whether or not it’s consistent with their values to have Confucius Institutes on campus,” he said.

“Understanding that Confucius Institutes are a soft-power initiative of a foreign authoritarian government which has been accused of systemic human rights abuses.

“And universities have to reflect, do they really want to facilitate that kind of propagandising on behalf of the Chinese Government.”

Press PLAY to hear the full interview on Perth LIVE