Australia Nixes Belt and Road Deal Between China and State of Victoria
The Australian federal government scrapped a Victoria state government memorandum of understanding and a framework agreement with China as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in an emailed statement on April 21, Bloomberg reported April 22. The move could further enflame tensions between the two nations that have had a chilly relationship since Australia called for an independent probe into the origins of COVID-19, Bloomberg said. The Australian government also tossed Victoria state agreements with Iran and Syria. “I consider these four arrangements to be inconsistent with Australia’s foreign policy or adverse to our foreign relations,” Payne said."
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A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs decried the agreement's cancellation. "The Australian federal government vetoed the BRI cooperation agreements between the government of Victoria and China for no good reason, wantonly disrupting normal exchanges and cooperation between the two countries and gravely undermining the bilateral relations and mutual trust," the spokesperson said at an April 22 news conference. "China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition and has already lodged solemn representation with the Australian side. China reserves the right to make further reactions over this matter."