AUSTRALIA – FOREIGN RELATIONS – CHINA

Business must lead China peace mission, top executives say

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Original article by Damon Kitney, Glenda Korporaal
The Australian – Page: 13 : 5-Jan-21

Company directors taking part in a round table discussion organised by the Australian Institute of Company Directors contend business should take the lead in trying to improve Australia’s strained ties with China. Penny Bingham-Hall, who is a director of BlueScope Steel, Fortescue Metals and Dexus, says there are very good personal relationships between Australian businesses and Chinese businesses, while Coles director Wendy Stops said "upfront criticism" is not the way to deal with China. Amcor chair Graeme Liebelt says there is a risk Australia could get "caught up in the crossfire" between the US and China.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF COMPANY DIRECTORS, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, DEXUS – ASX DXS, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, COLES GROUP LIMITED – ASX COL, AMCOR LIMITED – ASX AMC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

China accuses Australia of playing the victim and politicising trade, says coal ban is responsible act

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Original article by
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 16-Dec-20

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to growing criticism of its sanctions against some imports from Australia. Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the ministry, has used a press conference in Beijing to stress that the recent action taken by the nation’s authorities is in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations, as well as international practice. He has also described it as a "responsible act" for Chinese industries and consumers. Coal appears to be the latest commodity to be hit by Chinese restrictions, which have also affected products such as wine, beef, timber and barley.

CORPORATES
CHINA. MINISTRY OF COMMERCE

China coal ban an FTA breach

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 16-Dec-20

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the federal government has received no "official information" from China about restrictions on coal imports from Australia. He says that any such move would be in breach of both the free-trade agreement between the two nations and World Trade Organization rules. China’s state-owned media has reported that Australian thermal coal will be blacklisted in favour of coal from countries such as Indonesia, Russia and Mongolia. Morrison contends that a ban on higher-quality Australian coal would increase China’s carbon emissions. He has also emphasised that Japan and India are bigger markets for Australian thermal and coking coal respectively than China.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Chinese Communist Party insiders infiltrate Western consulates

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Original article by Sharri Markson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 14-Dec-20

Members of the Chinese Communist Party are working in at least 10 foreign consulates in Shanghai, including those of Australia, the US and the UK. This follows the examination of a leaked copy of CCP membership records, which has also found that CCP members are working in companies such as Boeing and AstraZeneca, as well as Western universities. Australia hires local staff for its Shanghai consulate through the Shanghai Foreign Agency Service Department, which is a Chinese government agency, and the leaked database indicates that it has at least 12 active CCP branches

CORPORATES
COMMUNIST PARTY (CHINA), BOEING COMPANY, ASTRAZENECA PLC

China not playing by trade pact rules

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Original article by Ben Packham, Will Glasgow
The Australian – Page: 4 : 9-Dec-20

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham says the federal government is considering "all dispute settlement options" in response to China’s recent move to ban a range of imports from Australia. He has also suggested that the targeted nature of the import bans raises questions about China’s adherence to the free-trade agreement that the two nations signed in 2015. China has yet to explain why it has banned meat exports from Queensland-based abattoir Meramist, although there is speculation that it is in retaliation to the federal government’s Foreign Relations Bill.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, MERAMIST PTY LTD

80 coal ships in China stand-off

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Original article by Perry Williams, Will Glasgow
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 27-Nov-20

Australia’s coal exports to China fell by 96 per cent in the first three weeks of November. Industry sources have indicated that 82 bulk carriers are currently in Chinese waters and awaiting permission to unload 8.8 million tonnes of Australian coal. China’s ban on coal imports from Australia has forced producers to find alternative markets for their coal, often at a discount. Meanwhile, North American coal is now being sold to China at a premium to Australian coal.

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China fallout hits Woodside gas sale plan

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 & 18 : 12-Nov-20

Woodside Petroleum CEO Peter Coleman says potential Chinese investors have abandoned talks to acquire a stake in Scarborough gas project due to the growing trade tensions between Australia and China. He adds that this contributed to Woodside’s decision to drop plans to reduce its stake in the Scarborough project and focus on selling a stake in the Pluto-2 project. Coleman has stressed that relations between Woodside and its existing Chinese customers and partners remain strong.

CORPORATES
WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL

China spat puts $149bn trade at risk

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Original article by Will Glasgow, Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 8 : 5-Nov-20

There is growing concern that the Chinese government is set to impose bans on more Australian imports. Wine producers have become the latest casualty of escalating tensions between the two nations, with Chinese customs officials preventing them from exhibiting at the China International Import Expo. The lobster industry has also been targeted, with a shipment worth more than $2m having to be destroyed after it was delayed at a Chinese airport. Unconfirmed media reports in China have suggested that a widespread ban on Australian imports – including coal, copper and sugar – will take effect on 6 November.

CORPORATES

China to halt key Australian imports in sweeping retaliation

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Original article by
Bloomberg – Page: Online : 4-Nov-20

Sources have indicated that Chinese traders have been ordered to cease buying at least seven categories of Australian commodities, amid growing tensions between the two nations. Traders are said to have been verbally told to stop buying Australian coal, barley, copper ore and concentrate, sugar, timber, wine and lobster from 6 November. However, iron ore is not believed to be included in the list of barred commodities at present. Chinese media reports have also suggested that a ban on Australian wheat will also be imposed.

CORPORATES

Australian exports to China fall 26pc, fastest drop among trade partners

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal
The Australian – Page: 20 : 8-Sep-20

Data from China’s General Administration of Customs suggests that the value of the nation’s imports of goods from Australia fell by 26.2 per cent year-on-year in August, to $US8.81bn. This follows a 7.2 per cent fall in July. Australia’s overall exports to China have fallen by 7.5 per cent to $US75.7bn over the year, according to the Chinese data. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has previously reported that the nation exported a record $150bn worth of goods to China in the year to 30 June. Australia’s relations with China have become increasingly strained in recent months.

CORPORATES
CHINA. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION OF CUSTOMS, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS