Australia plans to Give Federal the Power to Abolish Agreements Between Local and Foreign Governments: Not Against China
Australia is proposing legislation to give the federal government the power to repeal any agreements that local governments and public bodies make with foreign governments. Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, said on Thursday (27th August 2020) that the action was not directed at China.
Under the new legislation, the foreign minister will have the power to revoke any agreement between a local government, city council or public university, and a foreign government if it "jeopardises Australia's diplomatic relations" or "is inconsistent with Australian foreign policy". The legislation has a retrospective effect, and Morrison said, as far as he knows, Australia has 130 agreements with 30 countries.
The legislation is designed to reduce the influence of the Chinese Communist Party in Australia's trade and national security. Nevertheless, Morrison denied that the new law was particularly for China and that "the law concerns Australia's sovereign interests".
In recent years, almost all of the Australian regional governments signed cooperation agreements with China, including in mining, education and tourism. Australian universities are also trying to forge closer ties with China, as overseas students are a significant contributor to Australia's economy, generating AUD 35 billion (HKD 196 billion) a year, with Chinese students accounting for a third of the total.
#Australia #China #ChineseEconomicInfluence #ScottMorrison #Federal
Source: Apple Daily #Aug27
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20200827/DSFE2SKT55EZHEGSRD3QNLWQWA/
Australia is proposing legislation to give the federal government the power to repeal any agreements that local governments and public bodies make with foreign governments. Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, said on Thursday (27th August 2020) that the action was not directed at China.
Under the new legislation, the foreign minister will have the power to revoke any agreement between a local government, city council or public university, and a foreign government if it "jeopardises Australia's diplomatic relations" or "is inconsistent with Australian foreign policy". The legislation has a retrospective effect, and Morrison said, as far as he knows, Australia has 130 agreements with 30 countries.
The legislation is designed to reduce the influence of the Chinese Communist Party in Australia's trade and national security. Nevertheless, Morrison denied that the new law was particularly for China and that "the law concerns Australia's sovereign interests".
In recent years, almost all of the Australian regional governments signed cooperation agreements with China, including in mining, education and tourism. Australian universities are also trying to forge closer ties with China, as overseas students are a significant contributor to Australia's economy, generating AUD 35 billion (HKD 196 billion) a year, with Chinese students accounting for a third of the total.
#Australia #China #ChineseEconomicInfluence #ScottMorrison #Federal
Source: Apple Daily #Aug27
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20200827/DSFE2SKT55EZHEGSRD3QNLWQWA/
Australia PM to legislate disposal of Belt and Road Initiative agreement between Victoria and China
Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, will be legislating next week to ban multiple deals with foreign governments which are found not to be in line with national interest, one of which is the multi-million-dollar Belt and Road Initiative agreement between Victoria and Beijing.
The Australian has reported that this is an unprecedented move against Chinese interference and the protection of state secrets.
Source: Sky News #Aug26
https://www.skynews.com.au/details/_6184681606001
#Australia #Victoria #ScottMorrison #BeltandRoadInitiative
Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, will be legislating next week to ban multiple deals with foreign governments which are found not to be in line with national interest, one of which is the multi-million-dollar Belt and Road Initiative agreement between Victoria and Beijing.
The Australian has reported that this is an unprecedented move against Chinese interference and the protection of state secrets.
Source: Sky News #Aug26
https://www.skynews.com.au/details/_6184681606001
#Australia #Victoria #ScottMorrison #BeltandRoadInitiative
Australian Prime Minister Visits Japan, Signing Security Pact to Counter China's Influence
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison arrived in Japan on Tuesday for a visit. Reuters reports that Morrison is expected to sign a historic military cooperation agreement with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to cooperate in countering the growing influence of China in the region.
Morrison arrived in Japan on Tuesday, and an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan said that the meeting would include an announcement, but did not reveal any details. Some security experts estimate that Morrison and Suga will sign the Reciprocal Access Agreement, establishing a legal framework to allow mutual military training visits and joint exercises.
Japan has been negotiating the agreement for over six years, and still needs to be ratified by the Japanese Parliament. It will be the first military cooperation related agreement since the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security in the 1960s, allowing the U.S. to base warship, fighter jets and set up military bases in and around Japan.
#Australia #Japan #ReciprocalAccessAgreement #ScottMorrison #YoshihideSuga #CounterChina #IndoPacific
Source: Apple Daily #Nov16
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20201116/OKL2DG4UGNGF5O5GITAYZ7PWSM/
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison arrived in Japan on Tuesday for a visit. Reuters reports that Morrison is expected to sign a historic military cooperation agreement with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to cooperate in countering the growing influence of China in the region.
Morrison arrived in Japan on Tuesday, and an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan said that the meeting would include an announcement, but did not reveal any details. Some security experts estimate that Morrison and Suga will sign the Reciprocal Access Agreement, establishing a legal framework to allow mutual military training visits and joint exercises.
Japan has been negotiating the agreement for over six years, and still needs to be ratified by the Japanese Parliament. It will be the first military cooperation related agreement since the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security in the 1960s, allowing the U.S. to base warship, fighter jets and set up military bases in and around Japan.
#Australia #Japan #ReciprocalAccessAgreement #ScottMorrison #YoshihideSuga #CounterChina #IndoPacific
Source: Apple Daily #Nov16
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20201116/OKL2DG4UGNGF5O5GITAYZ7PWSM/