May 6, 2021
1 min read

Beijing strikes back at Australia

The retaliation comes shortly after the Australian government suspended two Belt and Road Initiative pacts with China…reports Asian Lite News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYlp-fARSuY

China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on Thursday that it would suspend all activities under the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue framework set up in 2014, while accusing Canberra of a “Cold War mindset”.

The move comes shortly after the Australian government scrapped two Belt and Road Initiative agreements with China, reports dpa news agency.

In a statement, the NDRC said its decision was based on the “current attitude” of the Australian government.

“Recently, some Australian Commonwealth Government officials launched a series of measures to disrupt the normal exchanges and cooperation between China and Australia out of Cold War mindset and ideological discrimination,” the statement said.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison

Also read:

China is Australia’s largest trading partner.

The two countries have been locked in a trade dispute that escalated last year and saw China hit Australian wine, beef, barley and coal with trade tariffs and customs delays.

However, it is unclear whether the most recent move will have any practical effect.

Beijing was already refusing high-level meetings, according to Australian newswire AAP.

The last time both sides met under the economic dialogue was in September 2017.

Analyst Jeffrey Wilson from the Perth USAsia Centre told Australian broadcaster ABC the suspension would have “zero substantive effect” because Beijing has already placed sanctions so widely on Australian exporters over the last year.

“By going thermonuclear in 2020, China now has no substantive forms of leverage over Australia, and has to resort to largely meaningless acts of symbolism,” Wilson said.

Also read:Citizen journalists suffer the worse in China

Previous Story

Must watch ‘art’ in Philadelphia

Next Story

Living is Giving

Latest from -Top News

Relief for Students: US Visa Cancellations Paused

More than 1,500 student visas have been cancelled so far…reports Asian Lite News The United States on Friday abruptly paused the cancellation of student visas issued to international students, according to reports.

Yunus Must Be Treated Like Hasina, Warn Islamists

Islamist group made these warnings to the interim government, terming the women’s reform body proposals as “anti-Islamic…reports Asian Lite News The radical Islamist group in Bangladesh, Hefazat-e-Islam, has issued a threat, stating

UN: Bring Pahalgam Terrorists to Justice

The members of the Security Council “stressed that those responsible for these killings should be held accountable..reports Asian Lite News The Security Council has “condemned in the strongest terms” the Pahalgam terrorist

Vatican Hosts Final Rites for Pope Francis

The Argentine-born pontiff, the first from Latin America, died less than a month after returning home from a prolonged five-week hospitalisation for double pneumonia….reports Asian Lite News In an outpouring of global
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Stranded Chinese Stage Protest in Nepal

It is the same story for Chinese citizens stuck in

Australian PM: Urges people to get booster vaccination

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has urged people to “stay