Australian government tears up Victoria's Belt and Road agreement with China, angering Beijing
CNN
The Australian government has canceled a Belt and Road agreement signed by China and the state government of Victoria, escalating trade and diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Canberra.
Victoria — the country's second largest and wealthiest state — signed a memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with the Chinese government in October 2018, the only government in Australia to sign up for Chinese President Xi Jinping's signature global infrastructure initiative. Part of Xi's vision for China's future economic growth, the BRI is intended to build new trade corridors between Europe and Asia, following the path of the historic silk road. While other countries that have joined the BRI have received large scale funding from Beijing, the deal between China and Victoria appeared to be aimed more at encouraging future investment and trade.Elected officials, Jewish advocacy groups and civil rights leaders are vowing to “push back” against the message of a White nationalist group that staged a march last week near downtown Columbus, Ohio, calling the demonstration an act of hate unwelcome in their community – and the United States more broadly.
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