THE AWU SUPPORTS PRIME MINISTER ON CHINA

In a virtual conference usually held in Geneva, The World Health Assembly is meeting alongside 194 member states of the United Nations over the next two days. This year’s assembly’s main focus is on the Covid-19 pandemic, and how to globally strengthen coordination in eradicating the virus.

Last week The Australian Workers’ Union wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister urging him to stand up to China’s bullying tactics on trade. The letter was sent after finding China had suspended meat exporters and threatened to add tariffs on barley producers. AWU National Secretary Daniel Walton said “Australia must resist Chinese Government threats to impose massive trade tariffs in response to our demands for a COVID-19 investigation and action taken against the illegal dumping of products like steel and aluminium by China.”

The AWU is not alone in this request as calls for an independent international investigation has been heard within Australia and worldwide. The Guardian online reported that .When Australia first proposed a global inquiry last month, China said it was “seriously concerned about and firmly opposed to this”. “Since the outbreak began, China has always acted in an open, transparent and responsible manner and taken a series of resolute, timely and forceful measures,” foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang then said.

Mr Walton says Australia must join forces with international partners to form a ‘Trade NATO’ to resist “China’s preferred approach of bilateral bullying”. Since the letter went to print and after weeks of threats Beijing has put an 80 percent tariff on Australian exports, which according to China’s Ministry of Commerce will remain in place for five years.

Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said he would be "very disappointed" if the tariffs were linked to Australia's decision to call for an independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19.

"The reality is they are separate" Mr Littleproud said, stating Australians should be proud their Government had led a call for a global inquiry.

Read Daniel Walton’s full letter to the Prime Minister here.

Stand with us by joining the union and signing our petition to stand up against trade bullying by China.