International Law

Dispatch From the Trade Wars - Australia

By Stan

Australia’s Defense Department vetoed Chinese investment in a proposed mine within an Outback missile testing range on security and safety grounds, the defense minister said yesterday.

The rejection of state-owned Wugang Australia Resources Pty Ltd’s bid to buy half of the proposed Hawks Nest magnetite mine within the Woomera military range is the second time this year that Australia has blocked Chinese investment in the area. (Shanghai Daily)

On its face, this decision certainly sounds reasonable. On the other hand, however, too many of these decisions, even if all of them are perfectly justifiable, will make the Australian government look like protectionists.

There is an international PR war going on out there. Each nation wants to portray itself as having an open, free trade economy, while at the same time being the victim of the protectionist policies of other countries.

Thus far, China has played this PR game quite well. No doubt this latest decision will be used as “evidence” of protectionist tendencies.

© Stan for China Hearsay, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Full post as published by China Hearsay on September 25, 2009 (boomark / email).