‘Unacceptable’ for Victoria to cut Belt and Road ‘side deal’ with China

Liberal MP Dave Sharma says it was unacceptable for Victoria to “cut side deals” with China and enter into the Belt and Road agreement. The federal government used sweeping new veto laws to cancel Victoria's Belt and Road agreement with China last night on the grounds the deal is inconsistent with Australia’s foreign policy. The controversial Belt and Road initiative involves a large-scale network of Chinese-funded infrastructure projects stretching from Asia to Europe. Mr Sharma said the federal decision was motivated by a desire to ensure Australia speaks “with one voice” on foreign policy matters. “No country would accept their own states signing up to agreements that their own national entity has not agreed to,” he told Sky News. “I think this is really an issue for Australia and our own internal affairs. It’s an issue of federalism, it’s an issue about the Commonwealth having a foreign relations power in Australia”. Mr Sharma said while the Commonwealth have not signed up to the Belt and Road initiative it does not necessarily follow that the federal government is “hostile” to the deal. “We just don’t think it’s in Australia’s interests to sign a bilateral arrangement with the People’s Republic of China on these issues.”

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