The two countries have been embroiled in a year-long conflict that escalated when Australia pushed for an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus without consulting Beijing. Since then, China has imposed trade actions against Australian exports including coal, wine and barley. Photo: Bloomberg
China-Australia relations: is Canberra taking a ‘less combative’ stance with Beijing despite tensions?
- China and Australia have had no ministerial-level contact for the past year after a fallout that started over calls for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus and spiralled into a broad trade conflict
- But comments from Prime Minister Scott Morrison suggest Canberra could be looking to tread a ‘middle path’ with China that diverges somewhat from the interests of its allies, in particular, the United States
The two countries have been embroiled in a year-long conflict that escalated when Australia pushed for an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus without consulting Beijing. Since then, China has imposed trade actions against Australian exports including coal, wine and barley. Photo: Bloomberg
