China turned off the tap？ Australia is still stubborn and wants to continue doing things …

　　BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua)-Following the "One Belt, One Road" cooperation agreement in Victoria, Australia, the strategic cooperation agreement signed between Western Australia and China has also been "stared at" recently. The Australian federal government is exposed to the call to cancel this agreement.

　　From expressing its position on Hong Kong-related issues and Xinjiang-related issues, trying to intervene in the "situation in the Taiwan Strait" to "tearing up" the agreement with China recently, a series of wrong actions of the Australian federal government have caused opposition and worries from many sides, and are also causing irreparable blows to itself.

　　Want to break the contract again: an agreement with China in Western Australia has been "stared at"

　　The British "Guardian" reported on May 5 that the Western Australian government signed a cooperation agreement with China in 2011, promising to jointly explore investment opportunities, including infrastructure and important resource industries in Western Australia.

　　Recently, however, the Australian federal government is facing the call to cancel this agreement. Kitchen, a Labour MP, claimed that the Australian government had a responsibility to tell the public whether the agreement was in Australia’s "best interests".

　　Two liberal backbenchers, Concetta fierravantiwell and Tim Wilson, also "jumped out" and said that the agreement signed between Western Australia and China should be cancelled, "just like Victoria’s ‘ Belt and Road ’ The agreement is the same. "

　　In this regard, the Guardian said that the Australian federal government refused to comment on the news, while Western Australia said that it had not received any questions from the federal government about the agreement.

　　"Self-destructive" behavior: The Australian federal government frequently stumbles on its own family.

　　The British newspaper The Guardian pointed out that if the Australian federal government cancels the above-mentioned agreement with China in Western Australia, it may cause tension with McGowan, the governor of Western Australia’s Labor Party. McGowan has always emphasized the importance of trade between Western Australia and China, and was re-elected in the Western Australia election in 2021.

　　A spokesman for the Western Australian government once said, "China is the largest export market in Western Australia. In 2020, China accounted for 56% of Western Australia’s merchandise exports. "

　　Regardless of the local development interests, does the Australian federal government have to "make a stumbling block" for its own family?

　　It is worth noting that Australia is a federal country, and the state and territory governments are responsible for the economic development of the state, while the federal government is responsible for foreign affairs and defense. It is precisely because of this that how to get along with China is the best for its own development. It seems that it is always difficult for the Australian federal government and local governments to be in tune.

　　Previously, after the Australian Foreign Minister "tore up" the "Belt and Road" agreement signed between Victoria and China on the grounds of national security, the operation of the Australian federal government was opposed by many domestic parties.

　　Australian Governor Andrews believes that the "Belt and Road" could have brought rich opportunities and considerable benefits to Australia. At the beginning, when joining the "Belt and Road", Andrews also said in the statement: "We don’t regard China as a customer, but regard China as our good friend."

　　As for the practice of the federal government, many people in the Australian business and academic circles also said that this will have a negative impact on China-Australia relations and cooperation.

　　"Deadly blow": the Australian dollar fell, scholars worried, and these industries suffered.

　　Recently, in addition to the above two agreements with China, the Australian federal government has also tried to "dictate" other China-related affairs.

　　The most recent is the Darwin Harbour Agreement. Darwin, where the port is located, is the capital of the Northern Territory of Australia. At the end of 2015, China enterprises signed a 99-year lease agreement with the Northern Territory Government. The mayor of Darwin also made it clear that he is looking forward to catching up with the development opportunities of the "Belt and Road".

　　However, recently, Australian Defense Dutton answered a reporter’s question, "In the termination of Victoria and China’s ‘ Belt and Road ’ After the cooperation agreement, why don’t you do something about the Darwin Harbour Agreement signed in 2015? " In fact, there are thousands of similar agreements in the country that need to be reviewed, and Australian Foreign Minister Payne is handling them. If these agreements are not in Australia’s interest, Payne will take action at the first time.

　　In this regard, many Australian media interpret it as the next goal of the Australian government is the lease of China enterprises in Darwin Harbour.

　　Secondly, Australian speculation is involved in the "situation in the Taiwan Strait". Australian Defense Minister Darden has publicly claimed that the "situation in the Taiwan Strait" should not be underestimated, and Australia will "work hard to maintain peace" with the "allies" in the region.

　　What’s more, the Australian media quoted an anonymous Australian military official as saying that in view of the "possible war" in the Taiwan Province Strait, the Australian government may dispatch military forces to cooperate with the US action.

　　Coupled with the previous "five-eye alliance" and the attitude of Hong Kong and Xinjiang, it seems that the Australian government intends to go to the end on the wrong road. And its unreasonable behavior is causing a huge blow to itself.

　　In the past year, Australia’s tense relations with China have caused the country’s lobster, red wine and barley industries to be hit by Chinese trade sanctions, and the livelihood of many exporters is "hanging by a thread".

　　On May 6th, China announced that it would suspend all activities under the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue mechanism indefinitely from now on, and the exchange rate of the Australian dollar even fell.

　　Sean Callow, strategist of Westpac Bank in Sydney, said, "Any official statement by China that further restricts China-Australia economic cooperation will have a negative impact on Australia’s export prospects and the Australian dollar."

　　Caitlyn Byrne, a professor at the Australian Institute of Asian Studies, said that China’s statement was a sign of further deterioration of China-Australia relations. She said: "This is not good news. This is obviously a very obvious diplomatic signal. China expressed his dissatisfaction with Australia, which is especially related to the Victorian agreement. "

　　The Australian Financial Review quoted a lawyer who advised Chinese companies to invest in Australia as saying, "The faucet was not only turned off, but also completely removed." China’s investment in Australia may be dealt a fatal blow by the Australian federal government’s actions to undermine the cooperation between the two sides.

　　Chinese response: Australia must bear all responsibilities.

　　On May 6th, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular press conference that for some time, has ignored China’s solemn stance and repeated representations, abused the so-called "national security" reason, and intensified restrictions and repression on China-Australia cooperation projects and achievements in the economic, trade, humanities and other fields, which seriously damaged mutual trust between China and Australia and undermined the foundation of normal exchanges and cooperation. China had to make a necessary and just response, and Australia must bear all the responsibilities.

　　Wang Wenbin said that China has always believed that a healthy and stable China-Australia relationship is in the fundamental interests of the two countries, and China-Australia cooperation is essentially mutually beneficial and win-win. At the same time, mutual respect and good mutual trust are prerequisites for dialogue and pragmatic cooperation among countries.

　　"We urge the Australian side to abandon the Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice, truly and objectively look at China’s development and China-Australia cooperation, immediately return to rationality, correct mistakes, change course, stop the crazy suppression of China-Australia cooperation, stop politicizing and stigmatizing normal exchanges between countries, and don’t go further and further on the wrong road." Wang Wenbin pointed out.