China has kept ignoring Australia’s requests to talk

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/06/08
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) —Simon Birmingham, Australia's Minister for Trade, Tourism, and Investment,

said on Monday (June 8) that he felt disappointed at China's unwillingness to ease the Australia-China trade tensions following Australia's calling on the international community to investigate the origins of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19).

Birmingham said that for weeks Australia has been calling for China to discuss the relationship between the two countries, but China has kept ignoring Australia's requests, per Liberty Times.

The Australian government has emphasized that independent investigations do not target Beijing. However, China has been criticizing Australia for "playing little tricks." Chinese Ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye (成競業) even warned that if Australia conducts an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus, Chinese consumers will boycott Australian products.

After the Australian government proposed the investigation, China imposed high tariffs on Australian barley and banned beef imports from four large meat processing plants in the country. China is Australia's largest export market, accounting for 30 percent of its total exports.

Birmingham said that the Australian government is willing to conduct a peaceful discussion with China on differences between the two countries, but China has not made any response or shown any gestures of goodwill.    [FULL  STORY]