FP China Brief: Why China is punishing Australia
China has suspended imports from four major Australian meat firms, escalating a quarrel between the two countries over the origins of the novel coronavirus. Speaking at a press conference, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the suspension was not connected to the dispute but was instead a matter of regulation and then went on to issue further economic threats against Australia. The warnings are backed up by increasingly belligerent editorials in state media.