China Suspends Economic Dialogue with Australia

SYDNEY - China says it is suspending further meetings in an economic dialogue with Australia in the latest sign of worsening relations.

Experts called the move largely symbolic because the last meeting of the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue framework took place four years ago. Australian business leaders, though, say they believe Thursday’s suspension is a new low in the bilateral relationship. Chinese state media said Australia disrupted economic cooperation through such actions as banning Chinese tech giant Huawei from its 5G telecommunications network. China also accused Canberra “of a Cold War mindset and ideological discrimination.”