Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne
Sydney … News Time
Australia has vowed to continue its investigation into the coronavirus despite China’s opposition, warning of economic repression. According to a report by the foreign news agency Reuters, Chinese diplomat in Australia Cheng Jingye said in an interview with a newspaper that the Chinese people can ignore Australian products and universities. Australia last week called on all WHO members to independently review the creation and spread of the coronavirus, but the Chinese Foreign Ministry rejected the offer. Cheng Jingye said that the general public may ask why we drink Australian wine or eat Australian beef. He said it was possible for tourists to think twice before coming to Australia. “Parents of students will also consider whether this is the best place to send their children,” he said.
It should be noted that after energy exports, education and tourism are Australia’s largest export industries, with China being the largest market. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a statement that Australia had demanded in principle an independent review of the coronavirus epidemic that had spread from the Chinese city of Wuhan. “We reject the proposal for economic repression on such a demand and we need international cooperation at this time,” he said. He said an honest diagnosis of the epidemic would strengthen the role of the World Health Organization. Earlier, China also pressured the European Union (EU) not to publish a report. Beijing was accused of spreading false information about the coronavirus. The report was published before the weekend as a balanced report on easing or removing criticism of China because Brussels does not want its global relations to be affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
A spokeswoman for the European Union (EU) said in a statement that it had never responded to such calls from other countries, including on internal diplomacy and suspicious matters. News website Politico reported that at least four diplomatic sources said the report was originally scheduled to be published on April 21, but that it was delayed when information reached China. According to a diplomatic correspondence between the European Union, a senior Chinese official contacted EU officials in Beijing the same day. He told them that if the report was published as it was written, it could affect their relationship. Sources said the delay in publishing the report was due to an internal review of the report, but there was a clear discrepancy between the content of the report obtained by Reuters before and after its publication. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump sharply criticized the World Health Organization, accusing it of focusing too much on China.
