Bloomberg Australia: The Perils of Standing Up to China
A Qantas aircraft at Alice Springs Airport in the Northern Territory, Australia.
Photographer: David Gray/BloombergWelcome to our weekly newsletter — a fresh, global perspective on the stories that matter for Australian business and politics. This week: How wolf-warrior diplomacy is backfiring, Australia's economic recovery and new hope for our barley exporters.
When Xi Jinping visited London in 2015, the trip was a roaring success. Fish and chips with then-Prime Minister David Cameron; a prestigious address to a joint sitting of Parliament; Chinese media swooning over the Duchess of Cambridge’s choice of a “Chinese red” dress to a state banquet.
Fast-forward five years and it’s a very different picture. U.K. criticism of Hong Kong’s national security law and China’s treatment of Uighur Muslims, coupled with a ban on Huawei from its 5G network, have soured ties just as Britain needs to negotiate a trade accord.