From June 5438 to February 2020, the Australian Federal Parliament passed a new foreign relations bill, giving the Commonwealth the power to veto the signing of agreements with foreign countries by governments and institutions at all levels, such as state governments. According to reports, this move to veto the "Belt and Road" agreement is the first time that the Australian federal government has enabled the veto granted by this bill.
In this regard, the Embassy of China in Australia responded: We express our strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the Australian Foreign Minister's announcement on April 2 1 that China will tear up the memorandum and framework agreement on the Belt and Road issue signed with the Victorian Government of Australia.
The Belt and Road Initiative is an economic cooperation initiative. It always adheres to the principle of * * * * business * * * building * * *, advocates the spirit of openness, tolerance and transparency, and brings tangible benefits to all parties involved. The cooperation between China and Victoria under the framework of "One Belt, One Road" is conducive to deepening bilateral economic and trade relations, promoting Victoria's economic development and enhancing the well-being of Victorian people.
The Australian side's move is another unreasonable provocation against China. Once again, it shows that Australia is not sincere in improving Sino-Australian relations, which will inevitably cause further damage to bilateral relations, and it will also shoot itself in the foot.
China suspended imports due to quarantine problems, and the Australian timber industry has been complaining for months. Now there are foreign media reports that China ignored Australian officials' request to resume timber imports, and the "cold bench" will continue to sit.
Reuters said on March 12 that two Australian government "insiders" revealed that Australia tried to take the initiative to contact and provided China Customs with evidence that the exported logs were sprayed with pesticides, but there was no response. They believe that this means that Australian hopes of exporting timber to China will be "frozen" for a long time.
Since June last year 165438+ 10, China Customs announced that it would suspend the import of logs from Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia in accordance with relevant laws because quarantine pests were detected in logs imported from many places in Australia. The relevant situation has been notified to the Australian authorities.
Reuters quoted relevant data as saying that Australia exports about A $654.38+06 billion and 4 million tons of logs and pulp to China every year. Exports to China account for about 90% of Australian timber exports.
Violante, vice chairman of AFPA Australian Forest Products Association, said that if the situation is "deadlocked" for several months or even years, it will severely hit the entire industrial chain, including sawmills, and lose thousands of jobs.
Steve Garner, chairman of the Commercial Committee of Portland, Victoria, described the local sawmill as "almost a ghost town" and "hundreds of jobs were suspended". Australian government data show that logging directly involves the employment of 3,400 workers, and transportation and other related industries include an additional 4,900 jobs.
Australian media reported at the end of last year that Hampton, CEO of Australian Forestry Products Association, warned that if China banned imports before March this year, as many as 1 000 jobs would be lost in South Australia's "Green Triangle" region alone. Previously, the Australian government provided about 70 million Australian dollars (about 350 million yuan) for the country's timber industry to find new markets.
However, the Australian Forestry Products Association directly poured cold water on it, stressing that China is the main buyer of pulp wood in the world. "This practice is unlikely to succeed".
O 'Connor, a senior official of the Australian Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU), has called for short-term assistance to related industries and the development of timber value-added plans. In this way, "there is no need to be a prisoner of the continued tension between China and Australia."
In June165438+1October last year, Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, said that the relevant measures taken by China authorities against foreign products exported to China in accordance with laws and regulations were in line with China's laws and regulations and international practices, and were also responsible for domestic industries and consumers in China. He also stressed that a healthy and stable China-Australia relationship is in the fundamental interests of the two peoples. Mutual respect is the basis and guarantee of pragmatic cooperation among countries. We hope that the Australian side will match its words with deeds, do more things that are conducive to China-Australia mutual trust and cooperation and in line with the spirit of China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership, and effectively create favorable conditions and atmosphere for pragmatic cooperation between the two countries in various fields.