Australian envoy slams China for 'weaponising trade', says India has good business sense

Hitting out at China and hailing India for its democracy and good business sense, Australia's former PM and Special Trade Envoy for India Tony Abbot lambasted the communist country stating that it has "weaponise trade." On Thursday, he held talks with the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal in New Delhi and deliberated upon bolstering bilateral trade between India and Australia. While he floated plans to increase economic cooperation with India, the Australian lawmaker hit out at China stating that it has become difficult to see China as a "trusted trade partner." 

Addressing a press conference in the aftermath of the meet, Abbot said, "Over last few years, I've seen a very different China. What we're seeing from China is weaponisation of trade. Around 20 billion dollars worth of Australian trade was arbitrarily suspended by China. Under such circumstances,difficult to see China as a trusted partner."

During the meeting, both sides deliberated the “huge potential” that both India and Australia have. Abbot called India and Australia natural economic partners, adding that India is a great manufacturing nation, while Australia is a great resources economy. "Australia has what India needs to ensure that 'Make in India' becomes a reality," he added.  Later, in a tweet, Goyal stated that both the pacific allies were looking forward to boost mutual economic prosperity via the expansion of bilateral Free Trade agreements (FTAs). Meanwhile, the Australian trade envoy stressed that "the Free Trade Agreement was an important opportunity for India and Australia." 

"I am confident that we can do an early harvest trade agreement between India and Australia," Abbot told reporters in New Delhi.

Last year, PM Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morisson inked a new comprehensive strategic partnership aiming to expand trade and cooperation (Comprehensive Strategic Partnership). In a statement later, Canberra emphasised, “(The CSP) reflects India and Australia’s strong commitment to the practical global cooperation to address major challenges like COVID-19. It is in line with India's increasing engagement in the Indo-Pacific region through her Indo-Pacific vision and Australia's Indo-Pacific approach and its Pacific Step-Up for the South Pacific”. Furthermore, it emphasised that the pact was signed as both the countries believe in “open, free, rules-based Indo-Pacific region based on inclusive global institutions”. 

India is Australia's seventh-largest trade partner

Despite tariffs and reciprocal perceptions that neither nation is usually a suitable place to do business, Abbott in August had said India was now Australia's seventh-largest trade partner, with annual two-way trade of approximately 30 billion dollars. Both countries are now beefing up their negotiating teams in the hopes of reaching an "early harvest" trade agreement by the end of the year, which would be a significant step toward a far larger alliance.

(Image: PiyushGoyal/Twitter )

(With ANI inputs)