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Australia accuses China of undermining world trade
In an unusually blunt statement made public after a routine WTO meeting, Canberra insisted a slew of sanctions on Australian goods were politically motivated and showed a "growing gap between China's rhetoric and its actions".
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A staff member sorts Australian wine in an area selling imported wine in a bonded warehouse in Nantong, in eastern China's Jiangsu province on Friday. (AFP/Str)
A
ustralia delivered a withering denunciation of China's trade policies Thursday, accusing Beijing of undermining the World Trade Organization (WTO) and foot-dragging on promised economic reforms.
During a usually routine WTO review in Geneva, Canberra's representatives said China had benefited "significantly" from 20 years of WTO membership but was not keeping its end of the bargain.
In an unusually blunt statement made public after the meeting, Canberra insisted a slew of sanctions on Australian goods were politically motivated and showed a "growing gap between China's rhetoric and its actions".
In the last 18 months, China has imposed restrictions on a long list of Australian exports as political relations between the two countries have hit their lowest point in a generation.
"China has increasingly tested global trade rules and norms by engaging in practices that are inconsistent with its WTO commitments," the Australian government said in a statement.
"By undermining agreed trade rules China also undermines the multilateral trading system on which all WTO members rely."
Australian officials also revealed for the first time that the list – barley, coal, copper ores, cotton, hay, logs, rock lobsters, sugar, wine, beef, citrus fruit, grains, and table grapes – now includes dairy products and infant formula.
