‘China’s Threats Of Economic Blackmail Are Unacceptable’

NEW DELHI: Australia and China are at daggers drawn following Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s demand for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. He also called for the overhaul of the World Health Organisation (WHO), which is accused of pandering to Beijing by not calling out the pandemic earlier. China has responded with threats to squeeze Australia economically.

In this exclusive interview to StratNews Global’s Nitin Gokhale and Parul Chandra, Australia’s High Commissioner-designate to India Barry O’Farrell explained why his country was seeking a probe into the origins of the pandemic and a revamp of the WHO. He referred to his country’s close economic linkages with China, and how Beijing’s threats are not helping the relationship.

O’Farrell who is a political apointee not a career diplomat, shared his country’s views on the Indo-Pacific and the Quad. He also elaborated on his remarks made during a recent address at the National Defence College on why he felt that India would be playing a bigger role in the post-COVID-19 world. Watch this interview for more

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