China-Australia trade deal does not oblige either country to continue buying goods, lawyers say Su-Lin Tan sulin.tan@scmp.com China began imposing restrictions on Australian products in April, when Canberra drew the ire of Beijing for calling for an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus. Photo: EPA-EFE
China and Australia can cut trade ties at any time if either country can justify the action under rules set by the World Trade Organization (WTO), despite signing a free-trade agreement together, lawyers say.
But severing trade has wider political and economic implications that can undermine international cooperation and could lead to decoupling, analysts and politicians added.