MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th December, 2020) The Australian parliament passed a bill on Tuesday that will give the foreign ministry powers to scrap pacts struck by Australian states and universities with foreign nations, the Foreign Affairs Department said.
"The Minister for Foreign Affairs will have the power to prevent prospective foreign arrangements from proceeding, or to cancel existing arrangements, where that arrangement is not consistent with Australia's foreign policy," a press release read.
The ministry billed the legislation as a means of protecting Australia's foreign relations and did not reference any particular agreements, but the ABC public broadcaster said that it was devised to target deals with China.
China signed a memorandum of understanding with the state of Victoria in 2018 in support of President Xi Jinping's One Belt One Road initiative to build a global trade route network. The plan is opposed by Australia's Federal government.
