China threatens Australia to boycott wine consumption if it insists on investigating origin of coronavirus

The Chinese Ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye has threatened to boycott the consumption of Australian products, including wine, if Canberra insists on investigating the origin of the coronavirus pandemic.

Cheng, who has warned of the consequences for the country if it continues to insist on opening an investigation into the virus, said that “Chinese society is frustrated and disappointed by what Australia is doing.”

“If this is going to get worse, people are going to consider whether it is worth going to a country that is not as friendly to China as it seems,” he said before warning that “tourists may think twice.”

Thus, during an interview with the newspaper ‘The Australian Financial Review’ he pointed out that everything depends on people. “They may wonder why they should drink Australian wine or eat its meat,” he said.

His words come after Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison came out in favour of opening an independent international investigation into the origin of the coronavirus in China and the initial response to the giant’s health emergency. Asian.

For her part, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne has asserted that this is not a time for threats but for “cooperation” worldwide, as reported by the newspaper ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’.

In this sense, he has said that the Government rejects “any suggestion of economic coercion, which it considers an inappropriate response when what is needed is global cooperation.”

“Australia has called for an independent investigation into the Covid-19 outbreak, an unprecedented crisis that has severe consequences on health, the economy and society,” he said.

Both China and the World Health Organization (WHO) are under great scrutiny by the international community for their management of the coronavirus pandemic, which has already left more than 171,000 dead and nearly 2.5 million cases around the world.

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced in mid-April the suspension of the funds destined to the organization, which he has accused of “defending the actions of the Chinese Government” and helping “to hide the danger and the extent that it could have the outbreak.”

Countries such as France, Germany and the United Kingdom have already joined the doubts about the management of the crisis by China and have put on the table the possibility of carrying out a research of such magnitude. China, for its part, has rejected the criticism.