Collectively calling out China on trade aggression

Beijing’s use of trade restrictions to punish other governments for their foreign policies goes against its professed commitments to a rules-based and open trading system

The Chinese trade bureaucracy looks for ways to "punish" the offending country by imposing restrictions. PHOTO: REUTERS
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As all eyes were on the United States presidential election in recent weeks, Beijing was aiming its trade arrows at Canberra. Australian timber, coal, wine and beef exporters were being threatened with new Chinese barriers erected to prevent the sale of their goods.

The reason? To hit back at the Australian government's statements on Chinese government actions in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, the banning of Huawei from Australia's 5G network, Canberra's call for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus, as well as accusations about Chinese Communist Party interference in Australian politics.

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