{"id":64018,"date":"2021-04-22T13:16:42","date_gmt":"2021-04-22T03:16:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=64018"},"modified":"2021-04-22T13:25:56","modified_gmt":"2021-04-22T03:25:56","slug":"morrison-government-quashes-victorias-bri-deal-with-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/morrison-government-quashes-victorias-bri-deal-with-china\/","title":{"rendered":"Morrison government quashes Victoria\u2019s BRI deal with\u00a0China"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n

The Australian government has cancelled Victoria\u2019s Belt and Road Initiative agreement with China.<\/p>\n

In the first decisions under the government\u2019s new law allowing it to quash arrangements states, territories and public universities have, or propose to have, with foreign governments, Foreign Minister Marise Payne announced four Victorian agreements would end.<\/p>\n

Two are with China and the others are with Iran and Syria.<\/p>\n

The agreements with China are the memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative signed in October 2018, and a subsequent more detailed framework agreement signed in October 2019.<\/p>\n

The agreement with Iran related to student exchanges and dates from 2004. The protocol with Syria was for scientific cooperation and goes back to 1999.<\/p>\n

Payne, who makes the determinations under the foreign arrangements scheme, said the agreements were \u2018inconsistent with Australia\u2019s foreign policy or adverse to our foreign relations\u2019 under the scheme\u2019s test.<\/p>\n

The action drew another sharp response from China, which is extensively targeting Australian trade and regularly delivers rhetorical attacks.<\/p>\n

A statement from a Chinese embassy spokesperson condemned the cancellation of the agreements as \u2018provocative\u2019 and expressed \u2018strong displeasure and resolute opposition\u2019 to Payne\u2019s announcement.<\/p>\n

\u2018The BRI is an initiative for economic cooperation, which follows the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and upholds the spirit of openness, inclusiveness and transparency,\u2019 the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

\u2018It has brought tangible benefits to the participating parties. The BRI cooperation between China and the Victoria state is conducive to deepening economic and trade relations between the two sides and will promote economic growth and the well-being of the people of Victoria.\u2019<\/p>\n

The statement said this was \u2018another unreasonable and provocative move taken by the Australian side against China.<\/p>\n

\u2018It further shows that the Australian government has no sincerity in improving China\u2013Australia relations. It is bound to bring further damage to bilateral relations and will only end up hurting itself.\u2019<\/p>\n

The Victorian buy-in to the BRI\u2014China\u2019s global infrastructure and development strategy\u2014was seen as the prime target when the government first announced its plan to review the agreements with foreign governments and their entities.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said last year about the BRI that it was a program Australia\u2019s foreign policy did not recognise \u2018because we don\u2019t believe it is consistent with Australia\u2019s national interest\u2019.<\/p>\n

The foreign arrangements scheme, operating since December, was driven substantially by concern about foreign interference in Australia, in particular from China.<\/p>\n

It also reflects the broader principle that foreign relations are a national matter and agreements by states and territories with foreign governments should not be at odds with the federal government\u2019s policies.<\/p>\n

Federal sources say the Victorian agreements with China have not yielded any tangible outcomes for the state.<\/p>\n

The agreements with Iran and Syria have been overtaken by major changes in relations with those countries.<\/p>\n

Payne said under the audits of existing and proposed foreign arrangements required by the new law, she had been notified of more than 1,000 arrangements.<\/p>\n

\u2018States and territories have now completed their initial audit of existing arrangements with foreign national governments.<\/p>\n

\u2018The more than 1,000 notified so far reflect the richness and breadth of Australia\u2019s international interests and demonstrate the important role played by Australia\u2019s states, territories, universities and local governments in advancing Australia\u2019s interests abroad.\u2019<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the Victorian government said the law was \u2018entirely a matter for the Commonwealth government\u2019.<\/p>\n

Payne has approved a proposed memorandum of understanding between the Western Australian and Indonesian governments.\"The<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Australian government has cancelled Victoria\u2019s Belt and Road Initiative agreement with China. In the first decisions under the government\u2019s new law allowing it to quash arrangements states, territories and public universities have, or propose …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":792,"featured_media":64020,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2212,1920,285,2308],"class_list":["post-64018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-australia-china-relations","tag-belt-and-road-initiative","tag-foreign-policy","tag-victoria"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMorrison government quashes Victoria\u2019s BRI deal with\u00a0China | The Strategist<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/morrison-government-quashes-victorias-bri-deal-with-china\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Morrison government quashes Victoria\u2019s BRI deal with\u00a0China | The Strategist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Australian government has cancelled Victoria\u2019s Belt and Road Initiative agreement with China. 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