Australia investigating reports that China has halted coal imports
October 13, 2020 | technology | No Comments

A general view of a Australian flag is seen during a welcome ceremony for Australia’s then Prime Minister Julia Gillard outside the Great Hall of the People on April 9, 2013 in Beijing, China.
Feng Li | Getty Images
Australia is investigating media reports that China has stopped taking its coal shipments, Australia’s trade minister said on Tuesday, playing down a potential sign of escalating trade tensions between the two countries.
Speaking on breakfast television, Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said the government was seeking a response from China while noting that coal flows to the country had been disrupted in recent years partly due to Chinese “domestic factors.”
Diplomatic relations soured in 2018 when Australia banned China’s Huawei Technologies from participating in its nascent fifth-generation (5G) broadband network. Australia’s call for an independent inquiry into the origins of the novel coronavirus – which first emerged in China – further angered