It didn't take long after Australia's first calls for an international investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic before rumblings of retaliation came from Beijing. | Analysis by Ben_Westcott
Hong Kong It didn't take long after Australia's first calls for an international investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic before rumblings of retaliation came from Beijing.
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne initially voiced support for an investigation on a Sunday morning television show in late April.Days later, China's ambassador to Australia Chen Jingye responded by suggesting the Chinese people themselves might retaliate with a boycott."Maybe the ordinary people will say 'Why should we drink Australian wine? Eat Australian beef?'" he told the Australian Financial Review.
What economic lessons will the world learn from Covid-19? 03:30Deep chillFor decades, Canberra has been caught between a rising China, bringing vast economic wealth to Australia, and its own long-standing security ties with the United States.The vast majority of Australia's exports to China are raw materials such as iron ore, coal, gold and wool, to feed the country's rapid economic growth, while it imports large amounts of consumer goods and technical components.
U.S. and China: Fear of a new cold war 16:47Tipping pointThere are still many areas of trade with China that remain unaffected by the tensions, including the multibillion-dollar iron ore trade, which is desperately needed by Beijing for its ambitious infrastructure program.But already there are signs that there could be more pain to come. Despite China agreeing to a coronavirus investigation on Monday at the World Health Assembly, relations with Australia have not improved.
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