After eight years and thirty rounds of negotiations, the New Zealand government has put pen to paper on what has been called the world’s largest free-trade agreement.
The deal offers some New Zealand goods faster access to Chinese markets and a reduction in tariffs for paper and wood products. New Zealand will have 98 per cent free trade with China, its largest trading partner, once the agreement comes fully into force. The upgrade has primarily focused on reducing compliance costs for exporters, and other measures which ease access to China’s markets.
Australia has not provided reasonable explanation for raiding the residences of four Chinese journalists and has not returned all their seized items after Australian intelligence agency staff raided the residences of Chinese journalists in 6-26-20.
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton on Sunday, 9-7-20 warned foreign journalists working in the country they might come under the scrutiny of federal agencies if they provide a “slanted view” of Australian affairs. “If people are here as journalists and they’re reporting fairly on the news, then that’s fine,” Dutton told ABC TV’s Insiders program. He said reporters shouldn’t provide “a slanted view to a particular community.” Dutton wouldn’t confirm reports four Chinese journalists were questioned by Australia’s national security agency ASIO in June, but said there had been “ASIO activity.” “Where ASIO has sufficient grounds for the execution of a search warrant or for activities otherwise, then they’ll undertake that activity,” he said. “If people are masquerading as journalists or business leaders or whoever they might be and there’s evidence that they are acting in a contrary nature to Australian law, then ASIO and the Australian Federal Police and other agencies will act.”
The reporters Bill Birtles and Michael Smith sought refuge in the Australian Embassy in Beijing and the consulate in Shanghai while diplomats negotiated their departure. Four days later 9-7-20 , they were cleared to leave the country. Birtles and Smith were the last reporters for Australian outlets remaining in China.
Just hours after the reporters landed in Australia, Chinese authorities announced that Cheng Lei 成蕾 , an Australian news anchor for Chinese state broadcaster CGTN , had been arrested 8-14-20 on charges of “carrying out illegal activities endangering China’s national security.”
9-24-20 China has banned entry for Clive C Hamilton and Alex Joske under country’s Exit and Entry Administration Law, after Australia revoked visa of Chinese scholars .
Postponement of the election date of the Five Eyes Alliance.
New Zealand (Deferred 1 month)
Original: September 2020
Postponed: October 2020
United Kingdom (Deferred 1 year)
Original: May 2020
Postponed: May 2021
Australia (Deferred 1 year)
Original: September 2020
Postponed: September 2021
Canada (Deferred 1 year) Original: May 2020 Postponed: May 2021
In the US, Trump cannot cancel or postpone an election with an executive order.Article II of the Constitution empowers Congress to choose the timing of the general election. An 1845 federal law fixed the date as the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. It would take a change in federal law to move that date. That would mean legislation enacted by Congress, signed by the president and subject to challenge in the courts.
In a joint statement on 6-9-20, foreign ministers of the “core Anglosphere”Five Eyes alliance nations condemned the Hong Kong government for postponing the legislative council elections. What a joke.
After Guardian Australia submitted an application under freedom of information laws for a file thought to be titled “Timeline of coronavirus outbreak and PRC coverup”, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it had found one document matching the request.
But Dfat decided the document was exempt from being disclosed “as its release would divulge material that was communicated in confidence by or on behalf of a foreign government or organisation” to the Australian government.
It is believed the 15-page document was authored by the US Department of State this year and distributed to officials in like-minded countries – including Australia – to spark debate about how the People’s Republic of China had handled the initial outbreak.
In a joint statement, the ministers said they discussed expanding operations in the northern Australian city of Darwin, where US Marines have been rotating in since 2012 under an initiative of former president Barack Obama.
The United States will establish a military fuel reserve in Darwin and the allies will consider exercises there with like-minded countries — a likely reference to Japan and India.
In one step that had been too far, Australia last year said it would not serve as a base for US intermediate-range missiles — widely seen as a way to target China.
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Australia did not agree on everything with Beijing — or with the United States.
“The relationship that we have with China is important. And we have no intention of injuring it,” she said. “But nor do we intend to do things that are contrary to our interests.”
She said Australia and the United States had a shared interest in an Asia-Pacific region that was free, prosperous and secure and were broadly aligned on issues, including China.
“We don’t agree on everything though. And that’s part of a respectful relationship, is part of a relationship that has endured over 100 years of ‘mateship.’”
“We deal with China in the same way. We have a strong economic engagement, other engagement, and it works in the interests of both countries,” Payne said.
