Pictured: Ambassador Cheng Jingye
Australia s lucrative tourism and education sectors could be next in the firing line if Canberra doesn t bow down to Beijing, China s top diplomat in Australia has warned.
Ambassador Cheng Jingye told an Australia China Business Council briefing in Canberra on Thursday, the bitter diplomatic spat between the two nations is all Australia s fault and hinted more economic pain is to come.
He said the rising tension would make Chinese students and tourists think twice about heading Down Under.
The comments echoed similar remarks he made in April last year when the wolf warrior diplomat said Chinese customers may not want to buy Australia beef and wine after Scott Morrison called for an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus - which first appeared in Wuhan in 2019.
Australia s cancelling of BRI agreements benefits none prokerala.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from prokerala.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By KARL WILSON in Sydney and ZHOU JIN in Beijing | China Daily | Updated: 2021-04-23 07:20 Share CLOSE The Chinese and Australian national flags on a celebration event in Sydney, Australia, on Sept 8, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]
Scrapping of deals invites harm, says Beijing, as it vows a firm response
China on Thursday urged Australia to rectify its wrong decision to cancel two cooperation deals between the state of Victoria and China under the Belt and Road Initiative, and has vowed to make a firm response to the move.
China is dissatisfied with Australia s position and opposes its reversal of the deals, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a daily news conference. China has lodged stern representations with Australia, he added.
2021-04-23 14:05:45 GMT2021-04-23 22:05:45(Beijing Time) Xinhua English
SYDNEY, April 23 (Xinhua) Australian federal government s decision of tearing up Victoria State s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) agreements with China will bring negative impacts on the relations and cooperation between the two countries, according to influential social and official opinions in Australia. It s very hard to see any positive outlook for Australia-China relations, you know, given these latest developments, Professor James Laurenceson from the Australia-China Relations Institute of the University of Technology Sydney, told Xinhua.
The cooperation between the two countries in other fields may also be affected, which is unfavourable to both sides, the professor added.
Australia BRI reversal brings warning on ties chinadaily.com.cn - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from chinadaily.com.cn Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.