[paraclete]

The new foreign relations laws have teeth and they are grand fathered meaning that deals can be quashed no matter how old they are and the Australian Federal Government has just quashed deals with China, Iran and Syria as being not in the national interest. I expect other deals with China such as the Darwin Port and the recent deal off the WA coast to be next in the firing line and, of course, this means all sorts of commercial contracts will come under scrutiny

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-...eals/100085676

Should have had that open enquiry into covid and stopped whining about Huawei. While they are at it the should have a close look at the USAFTA

[tomder55]

Agree USAFTA should be scrapped or renegotiated immediately. Also TPP is a terrible deal for the Aussies .

Example of USAFTA damage . An American energy company is Australia was expropriated without any compensation .(APR Energy 's $70 million facility ) The limp wristed emperor demanded the injustice be corrected . He was ignored and dismissed . It was actions like this that guided Trump in opposing TPP .

[jlisenbe]

the Australian Federal Government has just quashed deals with China, Iran and Syria as being not in the national interest.

Make Australia Great Again. You would think acting in your own national interest would be a very logical goal of any government. Good for Australia. Wish we would more aggressively follow that example.

[talaniman]

Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA) - Austrade

AND

Trans-Pacific Partnership: what the deal is and what it means for Australia | Trans-Pacific Partnership | The Guardian

Just to clarify where things stand as of now. Seems signed treaties should facilitate negotiations and legal actions rather than arbitrary impulsive actions. I don't think that applies to individual states though, and even here the feds can step in and over rule states agreement with foreign countries if need be. At least one would hope so.

[paraclete]

Yes, the idea in a federal nation is; you ask permission before committing yourself to agreements with international implications. Australian states are not sovereign, they are administrative units with specific responsibilities. The reserve powers are the power of the Commonwealth, not the states

[paraclete]

Australia has been unhappy with China's behaviour in the past year as we have been singled out by China in trade, but they have been tone deaf when we tried to take this up with them, but canning their flagship foreign initiative has got their attention, making them fearful that other nations will take a closer look at what China offers, which is actually a debt trap for developing nations

[jlisenbe]

canning their flagship foreign initiative has got their attention, making them fearful

I hope that's true, but I rather doubt that China is fearful of anything Australia is doing. But I do give you great credit for at least taking a stand. It's similar to what Trump did and what JB is completely afraid to do.

[talaniman]

One thing about the Chinese is they have no fear of probing for weakness, and resolve. Backing off is not a retreat in fear, but regroup rethink and and replan.

[paraclete]

The Chinese have not backed off but threated further action on trade so I expect they will shoot themselves in the foot again. You know, Tal, while China might be our biggest trading partner they are actually a small part of our economy, so the impact of their actions just means we look to other emerging markets and maybe we will take action, like slapping a dumping tariff on Chinese autos. Won't have much impact on our economy either, but send a big signal

[paraclete]

https://www.news.com.au/finance/econ...b94f6c0652f55a

They really have

http://blob:https://www.news.com.au/...0-368ff2b2f614

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfQpQqZZITw

[tomder55]

China's "great civilization " has been in the hands of thugs and gangsters since at least 1950 .

The Aussies are not alone . We have of course discussed their thuggish behavior with every state they border . But even Canada is coming under their bullying . Does anyone believe that putting 60 surveillance cameras in one restaurant is designed to track employee activities ?
Surveillance cameras at hot pot restaurants in Canada, Taiwan suspected of being part of China’s sprawling social credit system ｜ Apple Daily

[paraclete]

Why is it that the world reels from one autocracy to another

[talaniman]

Cameras are cheap.

Why is it that the world reels from one autocracy to another

They just keep popping up, along with the usual cast of entrenched dictators.

[paraclete]

You know, Pop Pot might have been right when he eliminated the intelligencer, it gave fresh start

https://www.news.com.au/national/pol...d84e39d63236a4



New Zealand, an important ally in Oceania, is soft on China and has come in for criticism. It doesn't matter, they are too far away to benefit from the Belt and Road and too small to be of more than passing interest to China

[paraclete]

China has come out and called Australia "sick" after an upgrade in defence facilities was announced, this followed a senior public servant, a hawk, saying the drums of war are beating. They complain about interference in their internal affairs and yet they interfere in others. They just don't get that the rest of the world consider their system of government as antiquated at best and dangerous at worst. Their paranoia knows no bounds

[talaniman]

And this surprises you why?

[paraclete]

No Tal, it doesn't surprise me, China is long on rhetoric, but they continue to beat the drum where we are concerned. we will retaliate with a ban on goods made by Uyghurs enslaved by China

[paraclete]

China has called our politicians stirrers, but they miss the essential element of the Australian culture, of course we are stirrers, we do it to all our friends, and they called us unethical, because we have benefited from trade with China, they forget, they have benefited from trade with us, where else would they get high grade iron ore, high grade coal, lobster, fine wine, barley, all at a reasonable price. They actually shot themselves in the foot by restricting imports

[jlisenbe]

China is not worried about Australia.

[paraclete]

True, but in a war we would stop shipping iron and coal