SYDNEY (REUTERS) - Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison named Education Minister Dan Tehan as the new trade minister on Friday (Dec 18) in a Cabinet reshuffle amid rising tensions with China.

Former Trade Minister Simon Birmingham was named the finance minister in October after Australia nominated Mathias Cormann as a candidate for the head of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Australia's relations between China, its largest trade partner, soured after Canberra called for an independent investigation into the origins of the coronavirus.

China has imposed tariffs on a range of Australian commodities, further straining ties.