‘Twists and turns’ in Australia-China ties are over, Li Qiang says – but Penny Wong highlights tensions

Posted on June 15, 2024 by Admin

Coalition blunders have left countries locked in ‘permanent contest’ over Pacific, minister says

China’s second-most powerful leader has announced that the “twists and turns” in Australia-China relations are over – and invited Australian officials to pick a new pair of pandas for Adelaide’s zoo.

But Penny Wong chose to highlight the tensions that remain in the relationship before a series of talks with Premier Li Qiang, who arrived in Australia on Saturday evening and was met by protesters outside the zoo on Sunday.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Putin-linked Russian oligarchs with Australian assets escape Morrison government sanctions

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Admin

Transparency advocates ‘can’t make sense’ of decision to exclude resource industry figures from sanctions

Get our free news app; get our morning email briefing

The Morrison government is facing questions over why it has not included two Russian oligarchs, who have assets in Australia, among those it has imposed sanctions against over the invasion of Ukraine.

Oleg Deripaska, who has a stake in an alumina refinery in Gladstone run by Rio Tinto, and Viktor Vekselberg, who has an interest in a gas project in the Beetaloo Basin, were not among 41 oligarchs and family members Australia’s department of foreign affairs and trade hit with sanctions on Monday.

Who owns Australia?

Posted on May 16, 2021 by Admin

Complex web of data reveals large swathes of country controlled by small number of billionaires and large companies

Chinese investment in Australia plunged by 61% last year, new data shows

Posted on February 28, 2021 by Admin

Researcher Shiro Armstrong says decline most likely due to Australia’s changed foreign investment settings amid Covid

Chinese investment in Australia has collapsed, falling 61% in 2020, according to new data from researchers at the Australian National University.

The university’s Chinese Investment in Australia database recorded just more than $1bn of investment in Australia in 2020, down from $2.6bn in 2019 and well short of the peak of $16.5bn in 2016. The drop follows a 47% decrease in 2019.