Beijing said Monday it had launched another probe into Australian wine imports, accusing Canberra of using subsidies to give firms "an edge" over local rivals, in the latest salvo as trade and diplomatic relations between the two deteriorate.

Tensions have been ramped up between the countries in recent months after Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison joined US calls for an independent inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic, which was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan last year.

China's wine industry lobby has complained Australia offered different subsidy programmes that give its wines an advantage over Chinese products, the commerce ministry said in a statement.

It added that the application by the wine lobby group said "there are a total of 40 subsidy programmes that may offer an edge to the Australian wine industry".

The probe will look into subsidies received by Australian winemakers throughout 2019 and could lead to countervailing duties on imports, it said.

Beijing has already conducted preliminary discussions with Canberra on the inquiry, according to the statement.

In response, Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said "we strongly refute claims" that government programmes supporting research and development amounted to a subsidy of the country's wine exports.

"The government will work with our internationally-renowned wine industry to mount the strongest possible case against these claims," he said in a statement.

The news comes two weeks after the ministry of commerce said it would investigate dumping -- when a country sells goods in a country for less than it costs at home -- throughout 2019.

Wine exports to China hit a record A$1.25 billion (US$900 million) last year, according to Australian government data, making it the biggest market by value for the product.

China -- Australia's biggest trade partner -- has threatened economic blowback on a range of Australian goods since Canberra called for the virus inquiry.

In May, China suspended imports of beef from four Australian slaughterhouses and imposed 80 percent tariffs on Australian barley imports.

Beijing has also warned people not to visit Australia for study or tourism, alleging anti-Asian racism in the wake of the pandemic.

Australia to probe foreign influence at universities
Sydney (AFP) Aug 31, 2020 - Australia's parliament is set to probe alleged foreign interference at public universities, a government minister said Monday, as concerns grow about Chinese influence.

A proposed inquiry by the security and intelligence committee follows a series of controversies over China's clout on Australian campuses, ranging from hacks of university data to questionable financial donations and intimidation of Beijing's critics.

Concerns have also been raised about the nature of research links between academics and scientists in the two countries.

Alan Tudge, the minister for population and cities, told Sky News the mooted inquiry was the latest government attempt to tackle spiralling foreign interference now at "levels not seen since World War II".

The move comes after Canberra announced last week that it was seeking new powers to scrap deals between local authorities and foreign countries that threaten the national interest -- sweeping powers that would extend to universities.

It also comes less than a year after Australia announced new guidelines for universities for research collaboration, cybersecurity, and international partnerships.

Tudge said the inquiry would "go further" than previous probes into alleged foreign interference.

"We need to be assured and the public need to be assured that there isn't that foreign interference in our universities sector," he said.

He did not say if the probe was aimed at China.

The Australian newspaper reported that Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton outlined the terms of reference for the inquiry in a letter Sunday to committee head Andrew Hastie, a government parliamentarian and outspoken China critic.

Advisors to Dutton did not respond to a request for comment.

The university guidelines announced in November push public institutions to enhance cybersecurity systems, undertake due diligence before signing partnerships with overseas organisations, and train staff to recognise foreign influence attempts.

Academics have been urged to be wary of sharing knowledge on sensitive topics and discern how joint research with international scholars could potentially be misused.

Schools and government officials also committed to more intensive consultation to protect Australia's national interests.

Beijing has repeatedly denied interfering in Australian campus life.

China-Australia relations have reached a new ebb in recent months, with the two governments at loggerheads over trade and competing for influence in the Pacific.

Tensions spiked in April when Australia infuriated China by calling for an independent probe into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, which emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.

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Australia eyes powers to reverse local deals with China, others
Sydney (AFP) Aug 26, 2020
Australia's federal government will unveil new powers Thursday to scrap deals between state authorities and foreign countries that threaten the national interest, a move which could target several controversial agreements with China. Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants to stop state and local administrations from entering or remaining in accords that are deemed counter to national foreign policy objectives. "It is vital that when it comes to Australia's dealings with the rest of the world we spe ... read more