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Fears of global trade war with China after Beijing slaps an 80 per cent tariff on Australian exports


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Fears of global trade war with China after Beijing slaps an 80 per cent tariff on Australian exports

There are fears Britain could be dragged into a global trade war with China after Beijing slapped an 80 per cent tariff on Australian exports as punishment for demanding an independent coronavirus inquiry - which 100 nations including the UK supported.     

On Monday, the World Health Organization bowed to calls from most of its member states to launch an independent probe into how it managed the international response to coronavirus, which has been clouded by finger-pointing between the US and China.

The 'comprehensive evaluation', sought by a coalition of African, European and other countries, is intended to review 'lessons learned' from WHO's coordination of the global response to the virus outbreak.

The UK has also supported the call for an inquiry, though the one announced by the WHO is expected to stop short of looking into contentious issues such as the origins of the virus. 

EU spokeswoman Virginie Battu-Henriksson said several key questions needed to be answered as part of a review: 'How did this pandemic spread? What is the epidemiology behind it? All this is absolutely crucial for us going forward to avoid another pandemic of this kind.'

Last month, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said China faces 'hard questions' about the source of the coronavirus pandemic, adding there would have to be a 'deep dive' into the facts around the outbreak.

He also said it wouldn't go back to 'business as usual' between the UK and China after the pandemic eases.  

In April, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison demanded an independent probe into the deadly virus and the World Health Organisation's handling of the crisis.

In response, Chinese state media and leaders warned of trade retribution that could wipe $135billion from the Australian economy. 

After weeks of threatening to boycott the meat and barley industries and restrict travel and foreign education opportunities, China on Monday announced an 80.5 per cent levy on barley exports starting on Tuesday

Beijing claims Australia subsidised its farmers and dumped barley in China. The tax will remain in place for five years, China's Ministry of Commerce said.

The bitter battle between China and Australia has now exploded onto the world stage, after 100 nations joined Canberra in calling for an independent inquiry, with fears Beijing's harsh punishments could be repeated worldwide.   

China's brutal tariffs on Australia were revealed just hours before president Xi Jinping told a virtual session of the World Health Assembly his country would support an independent probe into the origins of the outbreak - but only when the pandemic is over.

He defended his country's response to the crisis, saying China had acted 'with openness and transparency'.

US President Donald Trump has claimed he has proof suggesting the coronavirus originated in a lab in China while the scientific community has insisted all evidence to date shows the virus likely jumped into humans from animals. 

There have also been calls for WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to resign over the body's handing of the crisis.

Tedros said he would launch an independent evaluation 'at the earliest appropriate moment' - alluding to findings published Monday in a first report by a body commissioned to look into WHO's response to the virus.

The 11-page report raised questions such as whether WHO's warning system for alerting the world to outbreaks is adequate, and suggested member states might need to 'reassess' WHO's role in providing travel advice to countries.

President Xi Jinping defends China's handling of the crisis

 

China announced a whopping 80.5% levy on barley exports starting May 19. Pictured is a barley farmer in central west NSW

China announced a whopping 80.5% levy on barley exports starting May 19. Pictured is a barley farmer in central west NSW

Australia's Minister for Trade Simon Birmingham on Monday night denied Australia had subsidised or dumped barley in China. 

'Australia is deeply disappointed with China's decision to impose duties on Australian barley,' Mr Birmingham said in a statement. 

China's Ministry of Commerce released their own statement saying: 'There was a subsidy for imported barley originating in Australia, the domestic barley industry was substantially damaged, and there was a causal relationship between the subsidy and the actual damage.'

Mr Birmingham responded by stating: 'We reject the basis of this decision and will be assessing the details of the findings while we consider next steps.

'We reserve all rights to appeal this matter further and are confident that Australian farmers are among the most productive in the world, who operate without government subsidy of prices.'

Australia may now look toward supplying the produce to Saudi Arabia, a government source said.

'There aren't many alternative markets. It could be sold to Saudi Arabia, but it will be heavily discounted to what Australian farmers could have received by selling to China,' said the source, who didn't want to be named. 

Mr Birmingham also confirmed Australia had expanded a trade agreement with Indonesia recently and had other potential buyers for produce. 

A coalition of more than 100 nations have supported Australia's call for an independent probe into the origins of coronavirus

A coalition of more than 100 nations have supported Australia's call for an independent probe into the origins of coronavirus

The tariffs come amid deteriorating relations between Canberra and Beijing, which have been exacerbated by the push for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

But the Chinese foreign ministry insisted the new policies are not related to the inquiry, and are instead a reflection of an 18-month anti-dumping investigation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to the coronavirus probe on Monday night, hours before the tariffs were imposed. 

He said he would only support the inquiry after the pandemic has been brought under control globally. 

China previously opposed calls for such investigations from both Washington and Canberra, but Mr Jinping said on Monday Beijing would support an impartial review.

'China supports a comprehensive evaluation of the global response to the epidemic after the global epidemic is under control, to sum up experiences and remedy deficiencies,' the Communist leader said during a virtual meeting. 

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison demanded an independent inquiry into the deadly respiratory virus and the World Health Organisation 's handling of the crisis

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison demanded an independent inquiry into the deadly respiratory virus and the World Health Organisation 's handling of the crisis

'This work needs a scientific and professional attitude, and needs to be led by the WHO; and the principles of objectivity and fairness need to be upheld.'

Mr Jinping reiterated Beijing's defence of its actions when the COVID-19 outbreak emerged in the country. 

It is widely accepted that the virus first spread from a wet food market in Wuhan, though some people believe the virus may have leaked from a nearby science lab.

Australia's export markets in 2019

1. China: $135 billion (33% of total Australian exports)

2. Japan: $36 billion (9%)

3. South Korea: $21 billion (5%)

4. United Kingdom: $16 billion (3.8%)

5. United States: $15 billion (3.7%)

Source: Worldstopexports.com  

Calling the pandemic 'the most serious global public health emergency since the end of World War Two', Mr Jinping said: 'All along we have acted with openness and transparency and responsibility.

'We have turned the tide on the virus,' he said.

He also pledged $2 billion in financial support over the next two years to help deal with COVID-19, especially to help developing countries.  

The shock announcement comes after the nation threatened to cripple Australia's economy while Mr Morrison demanded a probe.

China's state-controlled media and trade experts warned Beijing's boycott could extend beyond beef and barley, with iron ore - worth $63billion a year to Australia's economy - potentially next in line.

But 62 nations on Sunday pledged their support to the inquiry, including the entire 27-member European Union along with New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan, the UK, India, Canada, Russia, Mexico and Brazil.

There are currently 4.8million known coronavirus cases worldwide, of which 317,215 are dead, 2.6million sick and 1.8million recovered.

A worker in protective suit takes body temperature measurement of a woman in China

A worker in protective suit takes body temperature measurement of a woman in China

China previously opposed calls for such investigations from both Washington and Canberra, but Mr Jinping said on Monday Beijing would support an impartial review. Pictured L-R US President Donald Trump, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, China's President Xi Jinping, World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General Roberto Azevedo and Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison at a G20 Summit meeting in 2019

China previously opposed calls for such investigations from both Washington and Canberra, but Mr Jinping said on Monday Beijing would support an impartial review. Pictured L-R US President Donald Trump, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, China's President Xi Jinping, World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General Roberto Azevedo and Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison at a G20 Summit meeting in 2019

Industry hits back at China following tariffs

The chief executive of Grain Producers Australia, Andrew Weidermann, says farmers are not scared to cut ties with China.

He said while he hopes the two nations will come to a dually beneficial agreement, the industry will always find a way to survive.

'We want to negotiate on this with China and continue to do business,' he told The Australian.   

'But if they slam the door in our face, we have to consider not doing business in China.' 

The Global Times newspaper, a mouthpiece for the communist government, suggested China could easily turn to Brazil for iron ore and other commodities - and did not need Australian exports.

This week China hinted at the tariff on Australian barley - and suspended imports of Australian beef from four major suppliers. 

Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce told the Seven Network last Monday 'this is a case of payback.' 

But Mr Morrison said China had not linked barley tariffs to a COVID-19 inquiry and said it would be 'extremely disappointing' if they were used as an act of retribution.

'It's an anti-dumping issue from their perspective. They certainly haven't raised it as connected to other issues. I would be extremely disappointed if it was,' he told reporters in Canberra. 

'There's no reason for me to think based on the way that they're approaching it that I could draw that conclusion.'

Dumping is when a country exports a product unfairly cheaply to permeate a foreign market, with producers often subsidised by the government.

Australia contests the claims and is prepared to take China to the World Trade Organisation to fight against the tariffs.

'That's what the umpire is there for and that's what we would test if we feel aggrieved that our position hasn't been properly accepted or understood,' Agriculture Minister David Littleproud previously said. 

One third of Australia's exports - including iron ore, gas, coal and food - go to China, bringing in around $135billion per year. 

The four meatworks which have been impacted account for more than a third of Australian beef exports.

China had up until this point ignored Australia's attempts to discuss trade tensions over beef and barley imports.

Pictured: WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Pictured: WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus 

Australian relations with China have been heavily strained since Scott Morrison - among with other world leaders - began pushing for a global inquiry into coronavirus. Pictured: Chinese President Xi Jinping

Australian relations with China have been heavily strained since Scott Morrison - among with other world leaders - began pushing for a global inquiry into coronavirus. Pictured: Chinese President Xi Jinping

AMBASSADOR'S ECONOMIC THREAT TO AUSTRALIA

In an interview with the Australian Financial Review, Ambassador Cheng slammed Australia's push for a global inquiry as 'political' and warned Chinese consumers could boycott the country.

Answering a question about whether China could boycott Australian iron ore or gas, Mr Cheng instead focused on China's contribution to Australia's agriculture, tourism and education sectors. 

Mr Cheng said: 'I think if the mood is going from bad to worse, people would think why we should go to such a country while it's not so friendly to China.

'The tourists may have second thoughts. Maybe the parents of the students would also think whether this place, which they find is not so friendly, even hostile, is the best place to send their kids to. 

'So it's up to the public, the people to decide. And also, maybe the ordinary people will think why they should drink Australian wine or eat Australian beef.' 

Mr Birmingham confirmed his Chinese counterpart had not responded to requests for talks to end the diplomatic row.

'We have not secured said meeting yet. I would hope that would be forthcoming,' he told parliament last week.

A separate article in the Global Times discouraged Chinese citizens from doing business with Australia.

'It now seems necessary to advise Chinese people and companies to watch out for potential risks when it comes to doing business with or studying in Australia,' the opinion article said.

Last month the Chinese Embassy called Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton 'pitiful,' 'ignorant' and a US 'parrot' after he told China to 'answer questions' about how coronavirus started. 

The World Health Assembly (pictured: 2019) meets once a year where health ministers from 194 member states set WHO policy. This year 62 nations will back Australia's call for a probe

The World Health Assembly (pictured: 2019) meets once a year where health ministers from 194 member states set WHO policy. This year 62 nations will back Australia's call for a probe

Scott Morrison says Australia has to be competitive with China

Statement by Trade Minister Simon Birmingham on beef bans 

We were notified late yesterday that four Australian meat establishments have been suspended by Chinese Authorities over issues related to labelling and health certificate requirements.

We are concerned that the suspensions appear to be based on highly technical issues, which in some cases date back more than a year.

We've been speaking with industry leaders, colleagues and departments overnight to formulate a comprehensive response. 

We will work with industry and authorities in both Australia and China to seek to find a solution that allows these businesses to resume their normal operations as soon as possible. 

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China needs to get off it’s high horse and get this CV thing figured out.  If they are going to be a world player they MUST be transparent and allow a full investigation.  China has a hard time playing by the rules. They just do whatever they want and laugh at Western Countries that abide by a world law and order.

 

 This article is very disturbing and once again look to The Great Depression when we had tarriffs and a race to zero.  History always seems to repeat as we never learn the leassons of the past. China is going to find itself on the wrong side of most free countries.  The world can find another country to be the manufacturer for the free countries.  Messing with Australia will certainly draw a response from Great Britain and the US.  

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They know exactly what they're doing with "this CV thing"....

 

They INTENTIONALLY waged biological warfare on the world to collapse economies.

 

PERIOD.

 

They even had WHO in line to lie for them & to cover their azzes to give them global 'cred'.

And of course their globalist pals at the U.N....

and all their little leftist kommie pals like Pelosi, Biden, Bill Gates, et al who have unleashed

all their propaganda machines to attack the POTUS whenever he calls it the "Chinese" virus or

call US Americans all a piece of shhit when we call them out for not allowing US to investigate,

or call them out when we catch them lying.

 

We see right though 'em, son....  this hasn't been their first & won't be their last.

 

We need to castrate them NOW. :angry:

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39 minutes ago, SgtFuryUSCZ said:

They know exactly what they're doing with "this CV thing"....

 

They INTENTIONALLY waged biological warfare on the world to collapse economies.

 

PERIOD.

 

Absolutely.  I read an article 3 years ago by a Chinese General  who stated that the US and the West needed a “punch in the gut” to teach it a lesson.  He then described the perfect way to hurt the US economically.  You guessed it, a bio weapon that would cripple  us.  I’ve also read articles by the CIA that stated a similar scenario but it was on crippling our antiquated electric grid.  

 

Something the Snowflakes do not know or understand.  There are countries that hate the USA and would love nothing more than to destroy it, cripple it, or split it up.  

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It’s way past time to tell them to keep all the junk they send our way and as citizens of the US stop buying their junk. Without the US and other western countries buying all their crap their economy will be nothing. They won’t be able to finance a military then or their computer hacking nerds either.
Why do you think they want the world to go to digital currency as well?  ....... DUH!..... so they can steal it all from everybody. 
We are at war with them and have been for at least 50 years.  Hello? Hello!!!  Wake up all

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Are any of you watching what China did to Hong Kong.   I’m not hearing enough about China breaking the agreement made 20 years ago.  Where is the outrage, for Freedom and Human Rights.  Trump better say something because the silence is deafening.  I want to hear from other Western countries and the Damn UN as well.  China is an aggressor nation, first Hong Kong, next is Taiwan and the South China Sea.  How far will the world let them go?  This is a huge story with little coverage.  The News Media is out to lunch as usual.  

 

 

China plans a clampdown that could end Hong Kong's dreams of democracy

May 22, 2020 / 7:45 AM

By Ramy Inocencio

 

At the opening of China's once-a-year National People's Congress on Friday, the country's leaders revealed the Communist Party's top two concerns for 2020 and beyond: national security headaches from Hong Kong's defiant pro-democracy movement, and economic growth in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Beijing's 3,000-member rubber-stamp legislature is poised to usher in controversial "national security" legislation that would ban treason, secession, sedition and subversion in the former British colony. 

There's mounting fear that Beijing would use the new laws to subvert semi-autonomous Hong Kong's remaining rights, which include freedom of speech and assembly, and the city's independent judiciary. If that happens, it would be a death knell for the "One Country, Two Systems" policy that officially guarantees Hong Kong's semi-autonomy until 2047.

"We will establish sound legal systems and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security," Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, the country's number-two leader behind President Xi Jinping, said at the opening of the People's Congress. He added that Beijing would support Hong Kong in growing its economy, improving living standards and better integrating its development into China's overall development.

 

Hong Kong "is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China," said Hong Kong's Beijing-backed Chief Executive Carrie Lam in a written statement late Friday, adding that her administration supports the National People's Congress deliberation.  

Late Thursday, as the first reports emerged of Beijing's intent, National People's Congress spokesman Zhang Yesui said the push to enact national security legislation from Beijing was required given the "new situation and demands" in Hong Kong. He said action at the national level was "entirely necessary."

The "new situation" 

From June to December of 2019, Hong Kong was roiled by record-turnout, peaceful protests that devolved into countless smaller, violent street demonstrations. The unrest was sparked by a despised extradition bill in Hong Kong's legislature, but it morphed into wider demands for universal suffrage, and then into a wholesale rejection of Beijing's power over the semi-autonomous region. 

One of the most popular protest slogans of last year was: "Liberate Hong Kong, this is the revolution of our times."

In local district council elections last November, pro-democracy candidates won landslide victories against pro-Beijing politicians, which was seen as a clear referendum on Hong Kong's pro-China administration, and by extension the Communist Party itself.

 

The broad popular support for the pro-democracy movement has made President Xi Jinping, widely considered China's strongest leader in decades, keen to bring the southern region to heel. 

Hong Kong's Civil Human Rights Front, the group that organized many of the city's major protests last year, said it couldn't confirm details of any upcoming demonstrations, noting in a statement posted Friday to Facebook that it was "currently extremely difficult to initiate any action." 

Nonetheless, the group called on Hong Kong's citizens to "stand up not only for your job, but for human rights, democracy and the freedom of the rule of law regardless of your political stance. We need each and every one of you to help save Hong Kong."

Warnings from the U.S.

"Any effort to impose national security legislation that does not reflect the will of the people of Hong Kong would be highly destabilizing," said U.S. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus. She added that such a move by Beijing, "would be met with strong condemnation from the United States and the international community."

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump said Washington would react "very strongly" if Beijing moved to crack down on Hong Kong. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the White House could reconsider Hong Kong's special trade status, which excludes the city from trade restrictions placed on mainland China. 

Washington wielded the same threat during last year's protests: If the State Department concluded that Hong Kong was no longer "sufficiently autonomous," then the status — which hugely benefits the central Chinese government — could be revoked.

 

The U.K. Foreign Office weighed in more tepidly, saying: "We expect China to respect Hong Kong's rights and high degree of autonomy." Great Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997 after 99 years of colonial rule.

On May 28, the closing day of this year's shortened (thanks to the pandemic) National People's Congress, the new national security legislation is scheduled to be voted on. It's all but assured to pass, as the Congress is effectively a rubber-stamp machine for the will of the ruling Communist Party, and the law could be implemented as soon as August.

 

 

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US warns China against Hong Kong's autonomy

china

The United Stated has warned China against any step to weaken Hong Kong’s autonomy as China’s parliament is reportedly prepared to propose national security legislation for the territory in response to pro-democracy protests.

The European Union also urged Beijing to respect Hong Kong's autonomy and avoid taking such steps.

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