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Australia's commerce minister has called for urgent talks with his Chinese counterpart following the suspension of key agricultural exports and the threat of tariffs, but he said Australia would continue to investigate the coronavirus outbreak.
Commerce Minister Simon Birmingham made the request by telephone with Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan after four large beef exports were suspended by Chinese customs authorities, the Birmingham office said on Wednesday (May 13, 2020).
The suspension of beef, released on Tuesday, raised concerns that Australia's Beijing had taken retaliatory measures to investigate the coronavirus outbreak, just days after proposing to impose tariffs of up to 80% on Australian barley shipments.
China, which is Australia’s largest trading partner, has rejected the need for an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
Chinese officials had said “privately and publicly these are unconnected matters”, Birmingham told television network Seven on Wednesday, adding that Australia sought a respectful relationship with China.
Birmingham has said the beef ban was linked to issues with labelling and health certificates, while the barley tariffs were related to an anti-dumping case.
The nationalist Global Times newspaper, affiliated with the official People’s Daily, said in editorial on Wednesday the suspensions of the meat processors should serve as a “wake-up call” for Australia for its unfriendly actions.
Citing the push for a COVID-19 inquiry and Australia’s decision to ban Chinese firm Huawei from its 5G network, the Global Times said “concern over potential retaliatory measures from China seems totally justified given Australia’s heavy economic reliance on China”.
Source: Online/SZK
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