Australia accuses China of undermining world trade

They are right

Like a dog barking at the moon. USA has been by far the biggest beneficiary of China's trade restrictions on Australia. Does anything think anyone form the EU, China or USA care what Australian politicians/bureaucrats are saying?

China introduced the practice of mixing trade and economics with politics and diplomatic relations. It's about time the world started playing by China's rules.

China introduced the practice of mixing trade and economics with politics and diplomatic relations.

Inaccurate statement. Trade embargoes and sanctions over politics and diplomatic relations have been around for centuries.

China is THE unreliable and UNTRUSTWORTHY trading partner. Trade agreements mean absolutely nothing to China. Other nations must realise this and act accordingly. All must reduce trade reliance on China and seek more diversified trade with other nations. China's time is done. The truth is out and it shows the ugly truth of China and it vaunted belt and road rubbish. China is neither a friendly nation nor a reliable partner. Do business with China at your own risk.

The worlds most disgusting political party is the CCP by a country mile.

banning telecom tech titan Huawei from key contracts, questioning how the Covid-19 pandemic began

The sanctions are politically motivated and in response to the above. It will be interesting to see how the US, the major beneficiary of Australia's market share, responds.

The CCP and its tactics are suffocating world businesses and trade, flooding the market with either incredibly low grade products, or entirely unnecessary updated products designed to keep global consumers buying Chinese and destroying the competition. Australia is one of many countries tired of the CCP and its anti-fair trade. Everything may be made in China but I make sure not to buy anything branded Chinese until they cease their stranglehold on the market.

Can't wait for the rhetoric that will explode from the bowels of the Global Times. For China to say the sanctions against Australia are not politically motivated demonstrates the warped mindset of their Govt. Hope all their constituents enjoy the cold winter which, by banning coal imports, will bring unnecessary hardship upon the lives of millions. Still, as long as the hierachy are warm and cosy in their plush surroundings all is well.

OssanAmericaToday 02:02 pm JST

China introduced the practice of mixing trade and economics with politics and diplomatic relations.

Hi, the Napoleonic Era just called, they want their M.O. back.

China is THE unreliable and UNTRUSTWORTHY trading partner.

Oh, I bet the French can say the same about Australia!

China is THE unreliable and UNTRUSTWORTHY trading partner.

Oh, I bet the French can say the same about Australia!

On the single contract that Australia cancelled it is paying out compensation. For China reneging on multiple trade items under trade contracts, China pays nothing but insults. No comparison China wins the worlds most untrustworthy trading partner.

Australia is all talk - the country is basically a vassal state to China at this point. The Australian economy is reliant on selling China iron ore, and Chinese own the Port of Darwin and around 10 mil hectares of farmland. Chinese interests also control Australian universities - the Australian education system is a joke, simply selling residency. Who needs a war when you can take over an entire country without anybody caring? Boomers are happy as long as their real estate prices keep going up.

Australia is all talk - the country is basically a vassal state to China at this point.

Comedy gold deserving of a netflix series.

China wishes Australia were a vassal state but the reality is Australia remains a thorn in China's side which it bleats about it every chance it gets. Enjoy the pain of power cuts this winter, thanks to China not honoring it trade deals for coal with Australia.

Chinese own the Port of Darwin

No China owns a lease on the port that can be cancelled at any time by the Australian government if it becomes necessary.

China is a nothing country that revels in its self imagined importance. Australia survived two world wars and can survive trade wars with China. Australia has a problem with blow flies and that's all China is.

A well developed and diverse economy

Australia - the 93rd most complex economy in the world, on par with Pakistan. The reality is that Australia will collapse if it cannot sell Iron Ore and "University education" (read: residency) to the Chinese.

The reality is that Australia will collapse if it cannot sell Iron Ore and "University education" (read: residency) to the Chinese.

Underestimate Australia and it's people at your own risk. Trade without China would be a short term inconvenience and nothing more. China is far more likely to collapse without Australian resources as shown by its failing electricity grid.

What stops China from buying more coal from Mongolia, Canada (too far, though) or Russia?

I wish my country's leadership had the balls that Australia's has. Here in Canada, our prime minister has extolled high virtue on China's leadership, and that totally disgusts me. I look at all the labeling on the things I buy, and if any of it says 'Made in China', I don't buy it. It's tough though, because of the pervasive nature of global supply chains. Try shopping for shoes, for instance. On the upside, at least they can't make a decent wine.

I wish my country's leadership had the balls that Australia's has.

Where would you buy all the stuff from then? Like you said, it's nearly impossible to find anything not made in China and it will take years to create a substitute for the Chinese model.

Australia too much nonsense.

Good for Oz!

Peter14, I would only disagree in one small particular, trade agreements, international commitments, legally binding contracts, international court decisions and treaties all mean nothing to China. Only the power of the CCP and the whim of dictator for life Pooh the magnificent!

Every one of us should be actively avoiding anything made in China and calling out companies that still source their. Complain to their customer services (one person they will ignore, inundation they will take note of) and write reviews on the likes of Trust Pilot pointing out they are supporting genocide, forced organ harvesting and institutionalised slavery.

Every one of us should be actively avoiding anything made in China and calling out companies that still source their.

Sounds like a plan! Let's all check our laptops, phones, home appliances, clothing and throw away anything made in China! That'll show'em!

Eustace: What planet do you live on ?? Compare Australia with Pakistan. Yes all of Pakistan citizens have a 1st class health system and superannuation and have no religious influences on government democracy. No wrong. Pakistan can't even hold a sporting event not because of COVID but the fear of a terrorist attacks. China has choices, deal with Australia or other Countries that produce Iron ore and other raw materials . They choose Australia Iron ore and Australian metallurgy coal because if they use other countries inferior produce China will produce more carbon output. Australia have the best quality and largest deposit of lithium and sooner or later China is going to want to import our lithium if they want to be relevant post 2030 when the EU tariff on fossil fuel made produce will increase 2- 3 fold. China is not at the top of the chain, but merely a link that the world trading nations can replace.

Australia have the best quality and largest deposit of lithium

That would be Bolivia

They choose Australia Iron ore and Australian metallurgy coal because if they use other countries inferior produce China will produce more carbon output.

I think the US would argue with you about this one

China introduced the practice of mixing trade with politics in 2010 when they stopped the exports of rare earth metals as part of the Senkaku Islands dispute. This alarmed the world so much that decoupling from complete reliance on China has remained a major goal to this day. Today this movement is greater than ever due to China's multiple issues with the world.

I thought Australia was a vassal state of USA.

What stops China from buying more coal from Mongolia, Canada (too far, though) or Russia?

China produces over 90% of the coal it uses in China. It has replaced its imports of Australian coal with coal from South Africa and Brazil. Mongolia has to ship coal by truck so the volumes it can export to China are very small. Russia exports coal to China from Vanino and Nakhodka by ship. In any event imported coal is a single digit percentage of China's total coal consumption. China's current problems are a result of shortfalls in domestic production.

China introduced the practice of mixing trade with politics in 2010 when they stopped the exports of rare earth metals as part of the Senkaku Islands dispute. This alarmed the world so much that decoupling from complete reliance on China has remained a major goal to this day. Today this movement is greater than ever due to China's multiple issues with the world.

Remember, circa 1940 the US stopped selling oil to Japan in retaliation for their invasion of and butchery in China. Madam Chiang was educated in Tennessee, spoke English with a slight southern drawl and had radio talks in the US every week drumming up US support for the Chinese. After the sinking of USS Panay on the Yangtze River by the Japanese the US was set on a course of eventual war with Japan. It was just a matter of building up a large enough force to confront them. The oil embargo hurt Japan badly. The US was Japan's most important source of oil. The US embargo led Japan to invade oil rich areas of Southeast Asia including what were then the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia and Papua New Guinea) and Malaysia to secure oil supplies and it was a major part of the reason Japan attacked the US.

Hilarious. The US unilaterally sanctions anyone it wants and then threatens other nations if they do not comply. And the entire West are now copying China and implementing state funding and state control over entire sectors. As for 'free trade', I am blocked (by the UK government?) from buying goods from Taiwanese suppliers that I used to purchase from, and new tax/carriage laws have made it difficult for companies to trade across borders. Given the sales tax fees now charged on foreign purchases on ebay, usually on top of foreign tax fees, I certainly wouldn't call it 'free' trade. Hypocrites, all of them, switching to the Chinese model as fast as they can.

A player with, perhaps, a 2000 year history of successful trade practices and who prefers 'sharing' rather than psychopathic domination by threat of force starts to whip the butts of those who consider themselves real big time 'business playas', real competitive masters, and the sobbing and whimpering and whining and plaintive complaints of "They're cheating! (because they're winning!)" predictably arise. What wimps they become when their militaries can no longer facilitate their trade practices.

If consumers dropped any product Made In China... these issues would be brought transparently to the table by the end of the year.

If consumers dropped any product Made In China, at least in the U.S. retailers would have little left to sell. I suspect that might be true in Oz as well. The problem isn't China but the betrayal by local marketers who want to squeeze that last penny out of the market...and, of course, the previously home based manufacturers who wanted to squeeze that last penny out of labor and shipped all of their manufacturing and technical know how to China years ago. It's not China, it's just native Greed and China has found its 'sweet spot' in that Greed.

"...USS Panay on the Yangtze River..."

This U.S. boat was there to enforce with gunboat diplomacy concessions foisted upon China by the Western Powers after China unsuccessfully tried to rid their country of the poisonous and exploitative Western presence which dominated their lives (Boxer Rebellion, circa 1899). They lost and were cruelly treated and militarily occupied by Western forces including the colonial U.S. until Japan drove them out and took over where they left off.

The story really begins 70 years before the Rebellion when Chinese merchants were first sucking out British wealth with quality and bargain and the British response was to become a drug cartel and promoted Opium importers who were poisoning the Chinese People and destroying the country to try to balance the hugely one sided trade gap. The Chinese responded with the First Opium War (circa 1841) from which everything went downhill for them from there due to Western weapons, until now. The Chinese People, historically, owe NOTHING but woe to the West. But war is really not their forte, BUSINESS AND TRADE ARE. And this time things, when guns can destroy ALL sides, may be different.

And Japan sits squarely in the middle. A loudly proclaimed and strongly pursued policy of NEUTRALITY (regardless of current military occupation) and limitation on additional U.S. forces in Japan under ANY circumstances might go far to support Japan's existence into our dimly perceived and questionable future. America will not attack Japan and 'trade sanctions' would only make necessary a realignment of Japanese trade policy. And, if they recognise sincerity, China would probably honor Japanese neutrality. But how to achieve freedom from U.S. domination is the greatest hurdle. But it's way past time for that...

Alex: Bolivia ???? Try mining it out than getting the ore to port. Both are very difficult operations. Bolivia is very mountainous needing a rail and tunnels system infrastructure and is land-locked. Having to get the permission from Chile or Peru to get the ore to port. Seeing that you got it so wrong on Bolivia your assumption about US quality of iron ore and metallurgy coal is just an assumption.

If consumers dropped any product Made In China, at least in the U.S. retailers would have little left to sell.

That is just not true. I very rarely buy anything made in China, and what little we do is because my wife is originally from Shanghai and it is something she wants. My audio equipment is US or UK made. My cell phone is from Malaysia. My old used MacBook is from China but the next one will be from Velocity Micro made in Virginia and using mostly US and Taiwanese components (only the battery and plastic case are sourced from China). Shoes are from the US, Dominican Republic or Vietnam. Vacuum cleaners are US, Swedish or Japanese made. Major appliances are US made Whirlpool and Frigidaire products. Bedding from the US and India. Clothes from India, Pakistan (but no wars in my closet!) Sri Lanka and US. Garden hoses from the US, spray nozzles from Taiwan. The garage shelving is US made. So are the big dog food containers. Furniture from Italy, US and Vietnam. We read labels when we shop. We are not supporting Baby Ping Ping and his wretched slave labor economy.

I noticed recently shopping a major hardware store that power tools that were previously made in China now say they are made in Israel.