Australia requests China trade talks, won't drop COVID-19 inquiry push
14 May, 2020
Australia's trade minister is seeking urgent talks with his Chinese counterpart after key agriculture exports were hit with suspensions and tariff threats, but said Australia will continue steadily to push for an inquiry in to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Trade minister Simon Birmingham requested a mobile call with Chinese commerce minister Zhong Shan after four large beef exporters were suspended by Chinese customs authorities, Birmingham's office said on Wednesday (May 13).
The beef suspensions revealed on Tuesday came just days after China proposed introducing a tariff as high as 80 % on Australian barley shipments, raising concerns these were retaliatory actions by Beijing for Australia's push for an inquiry in to the coronavirus outbreak.
China, which is Australia's major trading partner, has rejected the necessity for an unbiased inquiry in to the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
Chinese officials had said "privately and publicly they are unconnected matters", Birmingham told tv set network Seven on Wednesday, adding that Australia sought a respectful relationship with China.
Birmingham has said the beef ban was linked to problems with labelling and health certificates, as the barley tariffs were linked to an anti-dumping case.
The nationalist Global Times newspaper, affiliated with the state 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 appears totally justified given Australia's heavy financial reliance on China".
Last month, Chinese ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye warned that Chinese consumers could boycott Australian products if Australia pursued the coronavirus inquiry. Australian government ministers described his comments as a threat of economic coercion from the united states that took around 38 % of most exports in 2019.
Birmingham said on Wednesday Australia would continue to support a global inquiry in to the coronavirus.
"Australia certainly holds our very own, we adopt our policy positions steady with this values and we don't entertain monetary coercion in virtually any sense regarding changing our policy positions," Birmingham said.
Australia is "definately not a lone voice in advancing (an inquiry)" and can support a EU resolution at the World Health Assembly on, may 17, he said.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday the country's customs agency had found repeated cases of quarantine violations by the barred Australian beef companies and imports were suspended to "ensure the safety and health of Chinese consumers".
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