WOW. In 2019, “more publications from Australian universities were delivered from projects funded by China’s National Natural Science Foundation than Australia’s NHMRC" https://campusmorningmail.com.au/news/china-a-crucial-connection-for-australian-researchers/ …
To me that's what makes it so likely that this is an artefact of the selection criteria. I doubt very much that it is reflective of actual funding decisions