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Australia requests China trade talks, but won't drop virus inquiry push

29 Comments
By Kirsty Needham

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29 Comments
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Australia needs to decouple from China ASAP. Frankly, we all do. Not just limited to Australia.

I know Aus specifically sold out to them a long time ago energy wise, but China is not going to change and supporting such a despotic regime is the least we can do with 290,000+ dead worldwide.

Fossil fuel industry is dying anyway. Let it die

16 ( +17 / -1 )

Stand your ground Australia. China is bluffing. The world is going to have to deal with a lot of economic regardless of what China does so let's all bite the bullet now. When companies start leaving China and their economy crumbles (and it is starting now) the CCP will come back to you, Australia, with cap-in-hand and beg for your imports. For my part, I am only buying Australian beef.

11 ( +14 / -3 )

Bad move, losing respect for the Aussies.

-16 ( +1 / -17 )

Australia requests China trade talks, but won't drop virus inquiry push

Good for Australia! It is refreshing contrast to Canada, where Trudeau has totally sold out to the CCP.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

I called it.

Politicians around the world always talk big about getting tough on China especially with coronavirus, but in the end they all cave in like cowards and start kissing up to China again. Money talks, always has always will.

Next to wilt will be Boris Johnson, who was reportedly livid about China's accountability in the spread of the virus, but he too like all the other cowards will eventually cave.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

China should start an inquiry into Sydney’s Oxford Streets role in spreading HIV virus to China.

-16 ( +0 / -16 )

It will happen again if China isn't held to account. We are suffering now because we didn't do enough on China post-SARS.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

The more everyone dissengages from the clutches of the CCP the better off we will all be in the long run.

They are bullying everyone all over the pacific and threatening their neighbors on all fronts, leave them to their own devices and stop trading with them, there are other nations who will do business in a fair a proper manner.

Once they find they have no resources and realize they are out side the rest of the free world they might start to play by the rules the rest of the world plays by.

Stop selling your country to them Australia NZ and others.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

It will happen again if China isn't held to account.

And how is the world supposed to hold China to account?

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Ah, the all too familiar story of a whining childish dictator playing hardball to try and get what it wants. China is doing to Australia what Japan did to South Korea last year. Maybe Australia should copy South Korea's response and begin an all out boycott of Chinese made goods. Korea survived, Japan suffered. Will end the same for Australia and China.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Northernlife:

Australia sold themselves to the Chinese long ago.....

Well, but it seems they have developed a spine. Compare that to Canada, where the health minister does nothing but repeat WHO talking points verbatim and where the government spokesman simply could not be made to say thank you to Taiwan for the 16 tons of usable, uncontaminated PT gear donated by Taiwan last month (in contrast to the unusable crp sent by mainland China), returning endlessly to the phrase that Canada is grateful to anybody*. Yep, Taiwan, is "anybody". Voldemort must not be named. Shame on Canada's government.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

NorthernlifeToday 02:17 pm JST

Australia sold themselves to the Chinese long ago.....

That is true BUT lets hope this crisis is the beginning of Australia's decoupling from China

5 ( +5 / -0 )

While it’s good to see ScoMo etc standing up to the CCP in this instance, there’s a huge amount of ground to make up after years of selling out to the illegitimate gangster government in Beijing.

As some others on this thread already showed, the CCP and cronies already have their claws in Australia’s flesh, with universities, mining companies, property developers and worst of all, politicians of all the major parties doing their bidding.

Australia’s the lucky country when it comes to resources, but copped the short end of the stick when it comes to politicians.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

"And how is the world supposed to hold China to account?"

Um, it's really not a complicated question. Here are a list of demands the world has made or should make: (1) an unbiased, international inquiry into the CCP virus including access to the Wuhan laboratory and the wet markets, (2) an unbiased, international inquiry into the whereabouts of the "bat woman" who worked in the lab and was studying this genomes, (3) an unbiased, international inquiry into the treaties China broke by not notifying The WHO and other relevant parties when the virus broke out. If the CCP refuses here are a few retaliatory measures that can be taken (1) Seizure of Chinese-held assets held in other countries, (2) banishing China from international organizations such as The WHO, the UN and WTO, (3) refusal of visas to Chinese people other than dissidents who wish to escape this communist prison, and (4) aid and recognition to Taiwan, Tibet the Philippines and any other country who has a beef with China. China is bluffing by making any threats. The whole house of cards could come down in the next two years according to people who live in and study China. China's CCP done flat messed up and they know it.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

All countries need to stop doing business with China.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Hopefully the rest of the world is behind us on this, we can’t do it alone.

Personally I hope our govt. won’t back down, we are strong diplomatically but not politically. China does not feel like a friend at the moment, if anything a childish bully.

What do you mean good luck?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Despite the retaliation from China, I am glad that Australia won't compromise its call for global inquiry into the COVID outbreak.

To date, the cost of China's cover-up is immense and the world has suffered enormously. The whole world must stand up to China and support Australia's demand.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Um, it's really not a complicated question. Here are a list of demands the world has made or should make: (1) an unbiased, international inquiry into the CCP virus including access to the Wuhan laboratory and the wet markets, (2) an unbiased, international inquiry into the whereabouts of the "bat woman" who worked in the lab and was studying this genomes, (3) an unbiased, international inquiry into the treaties China broke by not notifying The WHO and other relevant parties when the virus broke out. If the CCP refuses here are a few retaliatory measures that can be taken (1) Seizure of Chinese-held assets held in other countries, (2) banishing China from international organizations such as The WHO, the UN and WTO, (3) refusal of visas to Chinese people other than dissidents who wish to escape this communist prison, and (4) aid and recognition to Taiwan, Tibet the Philippines and any other country who has a beef with China.

Ok, you've given a list of demands in response to my question, but you never answered the actual question: how is the world supposed to hold China to account?

We can make demands all we want. Same as I can demand you give me 500 yen. There's no way to enforce that demand though. At least not one that won't end up being a minus for me overall.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

All countries need to stop doing business with China

I agree.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

"Ok, you've given a list of demands in response to my question, but you never answered the actual question: how is the world supposed to hold China to account?"

Read the second half of the paragraph. The first set of numbers were the demands. The second set of numbers were the consequences for noncompliance.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I believe that before Morrison and his government called for a global inquiry into the COVID outbreak, they were well aware how China might retaliate through, and prepared for an expected, "economic coercion."

Whatever measures China would want to do to silence the voice of conscience of Australia, China should know that once Australian farmers find new buyers for their beef, it is very difficult to buy it later from Australia when it is much in demand in more than 100 countries around the world (see the article titled "Australia’s place in the global beef trade," https://www.mla.com.au/prices-markets/market-news/australias-place-in-the-global-beef-trade/).

.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"Ok, you've given a list of demands in response to my question, but you never answered the actual question: how is the world supposed to hold China to account?"

---------------

The second set of numbers were the consequences for noncompliance.

Ok, but you still haven't explained the "how". Not what the consequences will be, literally how will any decision be enforced.

It will go like this:

• World - pay for the virus

• China - No.

• World - we're going to put sanctions on you

• China - any country that tries to put sanctions on us loses access to our manufacturing tomorrow.

...next move?

People seem to think China is just going to bend over and fold and say 'our bad, the virus was our fault'. A virus. America couldn't even be made to take responsibility for a war that was not justifiable by anyone, it's silly to think that China is somehow going to take responsibility for a natural mutation of a virus.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

"People seem to think China is just going to bend over and fold and say 'our bad, the virus was our fault'. A virus. America couldn't even be made to take responsibility for a war that was not justifiable by anyone, it's silly to think that China is somehow going to take responsibility for a natural mutation of a virus."

The CCP did not notify the necessary organizations of the outbreak which is a violation of treaties they signed after the SARS outbreak which also originated from China. This (and others) means China has responsibility. We may never know if the virus is natural or not since China won't let anyone in and their doctors keep "disappearing." As far as retaliatory measures are concerned, the world can remove their operations from China and go to better countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, etc. Organizations such as the WHO and WTO can censure or banish China until certain conditions are met. Most importantly, countries can hit Chinese goods with the same tariffs the Chinese use against other countries.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

As far as retaliatory measures are concerned, the world can remove their operations from China and go to better countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, etc.

Why would they do that? It would cut into their profits. No country in the world is competitive with China when it comes to manufacturing and manufacturing knowledge. It's like the difference in the American military compared to the rest the militaries in the world.

Organizations such as the WHO and WTO can censure or banish China until certain conditions are met.

And again, what makes you think China isn't going to retaliate against any country/organization that tries?

Most importantly, countries can hit Chinese goods with the same tariffs the Chinese use against other countries.

1) We saw how well that worked out for Trump (it didn't)

2) Again, what makes you think China isn't going to retaliate?

3) Do you really think tarriffs and a trade war in the middle of a global recession, with the country that manufactures the majority of the planet's goods, is going to be an effective way to fix our economies?

Nope. Might makes right. Just as we couldn't make America take responsibility for invading Iraq and killing hundreds of thousands of civilians, neither can we make China take responsibility for the Wuhan virus.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Why would they do that? It would cut into their profits. No country in the world is competitive with China when it comes to manufacturing and manufacturing knowledge. It's like the difference in the American military compared to the rest the militaries in the world.

Countries are already making plans to leave China. The US is going to stop giving China money for their "developing nation" status and is reexamining their visa policies for student. Chinese assets are being seized in some places. Japan is paying companies to leave China. Sure, there will always be some manufacturing in China but the drop will be noticeable. Actually it already is; China is having so many problems with high unemployment that even the CCP is feeling the pain.

And again, what makes you think China isn't going to retaliate against any country/organization that tries?

Retaliate with what? Are they going to manufacture another virus? Kick companies out of China? Raise tariffs again. The difference with, say, China and Australia which is having a battle over beef imports is that Australia has a strong economy and will rebound. China looks strong but all of their wealth comes from other companies from countries. Once these companies start pulling out of China, the wealth that lifted millions out of poverty is going to dry up and blow away in the 2.5pm air. The CCP will have a fun time trying to quell that uprising.

3) Do you really think tarriffs and a trade war in the middle of a global recession, with the country that manufactures the majority of the planet's goods, is going to be an effective way to fix our economies?

Hey, China gave us this global recession and people know it. But while you are correct that a trade war mayn't be the most desirable situation, it can never be business as usual again. For one, manufacturing in China is a risk to national security. Look for medical-related businesses to either pull out on their own or be pulled out by governments. Countries will now start asking themselves if China will nationalize factories in the event of another global disaster. The risk is too great. Now this can be avoided if the CCP cooperates but, hey, they are the CCP for a reason.

Just as we couldn't make America take responsibility for invading Iraq and killing hundreds of thousands of civilians, neither can we make China take responsibility for the Wuhan virus.

Just for the record I agree the Iraq war was a mistake although the US troops who went there have my deepest respects. Having said that, I doubt anyone who say the damage has been equal. Not even close. But we must never pass up a chance to bash America.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Countries are already making plans to leave China.

Companies manufacture in China, not companies.

Why would companies leave China? And where are these so call plans you're claiming exist?

The US is going to stop giving China money for their "developing nation" status and is reexamining their visa policies for student.

How well did the last trade war with China work out for the US? And they're going to start another as part of their rebuilding from a global depression? Yeah, because that's a smart strategy.

Retaliate with what?

Sanctions, refusal to allow certain countries to do business in/with China. And those are only the visible means.

If you seriously can't think of the ways China would retaliate, I seriously question your ability to have any clue whatsoever as to how this whole thing will play out.

Just for the record I agree the Iraq war was a mistake

Not a mistake, an evil incursion that is a stain upon the morality of a nation. It's a complete and utter travesty. It's one of the more shameful acts of humanity.

Having said that, I doubt anyone who say the damage has been equal.

At least half a million civilians dead in Iraq. Yeah, it's not equal alright. Americans killed more in Iraq than Covid 19 has world-wide so far. And America did this intentionally. China just had the bad luck to be where the virus rose up, and their response about it, or rather their attempt to cover it up, cause unintentional harm to the world. America - intentionally killed hundreds of thousands. China - irresponsibly let a virus go free that has killed hundreds of thousands.

No, hardly equal. In this comparison, America is evil. China is just stupid.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Strangerland.

Touche'! Companies manufacture in China...and some of those companies are planning on leaving for previously mentioned reasons.

How well did the last trade war with China work out for the US? And they're going to start another as part of their rebuilding from a global depression? Yeah, because that's a smart strategy.

As for previous trade wars, this one will be different as we have a president who is not married to lobbyists and a populace who is seeing the bias of the liberal media.

Sanctions, refusal to allow certain countries to do business in/with China. And those are only the visible means.

If China's CCP does not want to business with other countries because they will not tow the communist line, fine. The other countries will adapt..and they are. The world needs China far less than China needs the world. Social unrest is already breaking out in China because of the economic damage caused by the CCP. I do not doubt that China's CCP will try to retaliate (look at the spat between the CCP and Australia) but the effectiveness will be limited. The world seems to understand that for the time being things are going to be rough and we might as well change things we can change; getting vital industries out from under the control of a totalitarian regime is a good idea and it is beginning to happen.

At least half a million civilians dead in Iraq. Yeah, it's not equal alright. Americans killed more in Iraq than Covid 19 has world-wide so far. And America did this intentionally. China just had the bad luck to be where the virus rose up, and their response about it, or rather their attempt to cover it up, cause unintentional harm to the world. America - intentionally killed hundreds of thousands. China - irresponsibly let a virus go free that has killed hundreds of thousands.

Two comments on this. 1) While I despise the Chinese CCP, I do not and have never thought that CHINA and all of its people were evil or intentionally hurt the world. The Iraqi war was bitterly protested in America and to paint all Americans as "evil" or as complicit in "intentionally (killing)...at least half a million civilians" is quite a statement. 2) We do not yet know if the virus was intentional or accidental because no one is allowed to study it. Meanwhile doctors and researchers keep disappearing and China's CCP keeps making economic threats that will hurt them more in the long run.

No, hardly equal. In this comparison, America is evil. China is just stupid.

Well, to quote Ronald Reagan, there you go again...

America has done some bad things to be sure (the Iraq war, the Vietnam war, to name two..although I do respect our troops for going) but we have also done some pretty good things too. As for your "evil" charge, all I can do is shrug my shoulders. Far more people immigrate to the US (both legally and illegally) than to any other country. Perhaps these people are evil and stupid too. As for China being "stupid" (not my words, Moderator! I am just repeating what another poster said), again I like to separate the CCP from the Chinese people. The CCP I think would certainly qualify as evil under your definition: millions and millions of its own citizens killed/tortured and subdued by its own government starting with Mao and continuing under Li Xiping. Hong Kong is up in flames, Taiwan is being threatened, Vietnam and Indonesia are seeing their oceanic territory infringed upon....I could go on but I think you get the point. If this doesn't constitute evil in your book then all I can do is shrug my shoulders again.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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