Australia announced today that it will cancel Victoria’s “One Belt, One Road” agreement with the Chinese Communist Party, saying it is inconsistent with Australia’s foreign policy.
Australia’s parliament passed a new law last year authorizing the federal government to cancel agreements between state governments and foreign countries that are deemed to threaten national interests.
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said today that the federal government will rescind the Victorian government’s decision to join the Communist Party’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Payne said she will use her parliamentary mandate last year to withdraw four documents, including memoranda of understanding and structure agreements signed by the Victorian government in 2018 and 2019.
Penn issued a statement saying, “I do not believe these four agreements are consistent with Australia’s foreign policy or are detrimental to our foreign relations.”
Penn added that she would also revoke the memorandum of understanding signed between the Victorian education department and Iran in 2004, and the science cooperation agreement signed with Syria in 1999.
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