In this episode, Dr. Jeffrey Wilson joins us to discuss China’s expanding trade restrictions against Australia. Dr. Wilson analyzes China’s trade strategy of targeted geoeconomic sanctions and argues that Beijing’s goal is to maximize economic pain without hurting its own welfare. When considering whether China’s trade coercion against Australia is a violation of international law, Dr. Wilson contends that many of China’s actions fall into the grey zone. He discusses Canberra’s decision to file a case against China in the World Trade Organization and contends that Australia will be better positioned to fight the case if it has support from the international community. Finally, Dr. Wilson asserts that the future of China-Australia trade tensions may depend on how U.S.-China relations develop, since China views Australia as an ideal proxy for sending a message to the United States.
Keyword:trade
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