Tourists barred from free access to Great Barrier Reef island after Chinese investors buy it

Keswick Island, located in the northeastern part of Queensland, Australia, was leased to Chinese real estate developer China Bloom last year. The real estate developer not only blocked access to the island’s beaches and other tourist attractions, but also banned access to boats and airplanes.

Last year, China Bloom signed a contract with the Queensland government to lease part of the island for 99 years at a cost of $20 million. The lease area is 117 hectares, and China Bloom plans to build a resort that can accommodate 3,000 people to attract tourists.

However, the project has not yet begun and has already caused discontent among the island’s residents. China Bloom built a fence on the island, blocking access to the beach and the National Forest Park, and prohibited boats and planes from entering the area, causing inconvenience. Willis, who has lived on the island for six years, told local media that she and her partner were asked to move out within three days in February. They are buying houses and do not want them to live on the island.

In addition, the Australian media reported that a pine tree that had been standing on the island for 12 years was cut down, with witnesses claiming to have seen a truck drive in and then drive away with the remains of the pine tree. Some residents said that the pine tree has always been regarded as the island’s Christmas tree by the residents, who decorate the tree every Christmas, and described the removal of the pine tree as a painful punishment by the property developer.

On the other hand, residents are planning to counter China Bloom by organizing a large barbecue in a public place on Australia Day (January 26) next year to rally their forces and express their discontent with China Bloom and the Queensland government. In addition, some netizens have signed a petition asking Australian politicians to pay attention to the event and prevent similar incidents from happening again. As of 5:00 p.m. on the 8th of this month, more than 17,000 people have signed the petition.

China Bloom also issued a statement on Monday, saying that there is no blockage of access to the national forest highway, and that all the projects comply with the relevant regulations, which will increase the number of tourists and make it more convenient. Access for residents. However, the progress of the project was hindered by the opposition of some residents who did not want to see the island developed. The statement also refutes the claim that the real estate developer has regular meetings with residents to report monthly progress and other matters.

Jason Costigan, a former Member of Parliament, was also disgusted by China Bloom’s actions and criticized the Queensland government for ignoring the interests of local people: “This is part of the Whitsundays, not Wuhan! I can’t believe the government signed 99 years of investment agreements, they ignore the locals, we do need Chinese investment to stimulate the economy but a Chinese takeover or any foreign takeover is absolutely null and void and not in the public interest.

China bans two Australian suppliers from importing lamb

In a separate development, Beijing launched a new trade attack on Canberra, banning imports from two Australian lamb suppliers, JBS Brooklyn and the Australian Lamb Company. These two exporters were briefly shut down due to an outbreak of New Crown disease. Despite this, China is still importing from U.S. lamb companies that have also been hit by the outbreak.

Australian Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the government is working to ensure that exports resume.

China-Australia relations have been sluggish because of Australia’s insistence on investigating the source of the new coronary pneumonia outbreak (Communist Chinese virus). Lamb is another Australian commodity that has been boycotted by China, after barley, timber and beef. On Monday, a sixth Australian beef exporter was banned. Australian brewers have also been hit with tariffs of up to 200%, and the international student market is under threat.