According to NTD News article published on March 2, 2023, diplomacy may be thawing between Beijing and Canberra. Leaders and officials from both nations are looking to rebuild ties two and a half years after a host of Chinese trade restrictions hit Australian products.
Beijing imposed the penalties in 2020. They’re worth roughly $14 billion and cover goods from wine to coal.
The limits were widely seen as a response to disputes over Chinese tech giant Huawei and Beijing’s intellectual property theft that went over the edge after Canberra called for a probe into the origins of COVID-19.
But now, trade could be on a path to a relaunch.
Chinese utilities and traders stepped up purchases of Australian coal in February.
In early January, Beijing gave four state-backed firms permission to ship in Australian coal. That marked the first sign of easing the unofficial ban.
China is the world’s biggest coal consumer and Australia the globe’s Number two exporter. A full resumption in trade could support global fuel prices needed for major industries like power generation and steel production.
Though if trade does resume, many producers still plan to avoid becoming too reliant on China again.
The shift appears promising, but differences over national security, human rights, and Australia’s ties to the U.S. and UK through the AUKUS nuclear submarine alliance could make for a bumpy road ahead.
