Australia Looks To Ease Economic Dependence on China, Chinese Foreign Ministry Reacts Harshly To Official Comments

With trade relations between China and Australia going sour in recent years, the Australian government has been seeking to diversify its trading partners, as its officials have made clear by their public statements and which a new trade agreement with India illustrates more concretely. At the same time, a Chinese foreign affairs official recently blamed the Australian government for the deteriorating bilateral relations, leaving a resolution to the issues uncertain and perhaps undermining the prospects of China's bid to join the CPTPP.