TENSIONS FLARE AS CHINA NIXES KEY ECONOMIC DIALOGUE WITH AUSTRALIA

China on Thursday “indefinitely” suspended all activity under a China-Australia economic dialogue mechanism, the latest sign of increasingly strained diplomatic ties between Beijing and Canberra.

The dialogue is jointly held by China’s top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), and ministries of the Australian government.

“The decision was made based on the current attitude of the Australian Commonwealth government towards China-Australia cooperation,” the NDRC said on its website on Thursday.

“Recently, some Australian Commonwealth government officials launched a series of measures to disrupt the normal exchanges and cooperation between China and Australia out of a Cold War mindset and ideological discrimination.”

The suspension was a “necessary and legitimate” response to Australia “abusing” the concept of national security to pressure cooperation with China, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin told reporters.

Australia’s trade minister Dan Tehan said, “We remain open to holding the dialogue and engaging at the ministerial level.”