Australia urges allies to drink its wine to counter China ‘bullying’

A global alliance of parliamentarians has urged people to buy a bottle of Australian wine during the festive season in a campaign designed to stand up against “bullying” by China.

The campaign follows Beijing’s imposition of punitive tariffs on Australian exports to China and the publication of an incendiary social media post last week by a senior Chinese diplomat.

Beijing imposed range of sanctions on Canberra after call for inquiry into Covid-19 origins.

“This isn’t just an attack on Australia. It’s an attack on free countries everywhere,” said Kimberley Kitching, an Australian senator, in the IPAC video.

Source: Financial Times #Dec02

https://www.ft.com/content/f95e1294-d93c-418c-afe3-1c23c2ea03c5

#AussieWine #Australia #China #AustraliaChina

Australia threatens to take China to WTO and backs Boris Johnson's stance on Uighur abuses

Australia’s trade minister threatened to take China to the World Trade Organization over its “unjustifiable” decision to increase duties on Australian wine imports for up to five years. China’s commerce ministry announced levies ranging from 116.2% to 218.4% would be slapped on Australian wine imports from Mar 30.

Australia also called for the WTO to investigate Chinese tariffs on barley imports, following a series of economic sanctions or disruptions to Australian products to China’s vast market.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries have reached their lowest since the deadly 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.

Source: The Guardian #Mar27

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/27/australia-threatens-to-take-china-to-wto-and-backs-boris-johnsons-stance-on-uighur-abuses?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

#AustraliaChina #AussieWine #China #WTO