Previously a researcher with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, his writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NBC News[1][2][3][4] His first major work influenced legislation in the United States Congress to ban Chinese military (PLA) officials from sensitive U.S. government laboratories.

[5] After graduation he spent a year working at Charles Sturt University as a researcher for Clive Hamilton for his book, Silent Invasion: China's Influence in Australia.

[10] At ASPI, he wrote prolifically on the CCP's united front work, the People's Liberation Army (PLA), and the Ministry of State Security (MSS).

The book attracted attention for its exploration of the MSS' successful cooption of Australian prime minister Bob Hawke to rehabilitate China's image following the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.

[19][20] In 2024, Joske testified as an expert witness in the trial of Shujun Wang regarding linkages between the MSS and the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office.