Parliament Approves Protection Measures Against Foreign Interests
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The lawmakers passed on Thursday the legislation enabling the federal government to veto any agreement struck with foreign states, a provision widely seen as protection against the influence of Communist Beijing.
The law allows the Commonwealth to block any agreement between Australian states, councils or institutions and a foreign government, such as a controversial 2018 deal between the state of Victoria and Communist China.
"Australia's policies and plans, the rules that we make for our country are made here in Australia according to our needs and our interests," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Canberra.
Under the terms of the new law, the foreign minister can veto any agreements with foreign governments if they "adversely affect Australia's foreign relations" or are "inconsistent with Australian foreign policy".
One deal expected to come under the spotlight is Victoria's participation in China's Belt and Road Initiative, which Mr Morrison said weakens the federal government's ability to control foreign policy.
The Australian people's interest, contrary to the claims some former Ambassadors with close links to Beijing funds, is to decouple with Communist China to prevent the economy from being exposed to the risks stemming from the mismanagement and corruption that are endemic there, the independent observers stated.
Beijing regime has been violating the trade agreements and basic principles of good behavior in its rage over Canberra's criticism of its crackdown on the opposition in Hong Kong as well as on the suggestion to launch an independent investigation into the sources of the Wuhan virus pandemic.