Controversial editor of Chinese state newspaper which mocks Australia with vile cartoons enjoyed LUNCH at our embassy - here's what he told the ambassador about 'unfriendly' Aussies
The editor-in-chief of Chinese government mouthpiece The Global Times enjoyed lunch at the Australian embassy in Beijing on Wednesday as a guest of our ambassador.
Australia's top diplomat in China, Graham Fletcher, invited outspoken Australian critic Hu Xijin to dine with him a few hours before the tabloid decided that 'China-Australia relations need to improve'.
Editor Hu and his paper published a piece recently saying Scott Morrison should 'slap himself in the face' after he demanded an apology over a fake image of an Australian soldier tweeted by a Chinese official.
Editor of The Global Times, Hu Xijin , has been one of Australia's loudest critics in China recently
Australia's ambassador to China, Graham Fletcher , invited the editor of the Chinese tabloid for lunch at the embassy on Wednesday
The Global Times, a mouthpiece for the communist government, recently shared an image depicting the Australian prime minister in a war zone, pointing at a child screaming 'apologise!'
While Mr Fletcher was tight lipped about the conversation over lunch, Mr Hu took to his personal social media account on Weibo where he gave details to his 24million followers.
'I was invited to have lunch with the Australian Ambassador to China Mr Graham Fletcher. China-Australia relations are so tense now, I believe it is not easy to be an ambassador to China now,' Mr Hu wrote.
Mr Hu's paper has recently tweeted a cartoon mocking Australian prime minister Scott Morrison after he demanded China apologise over a government official tweeting the propaganda image of an Australia soldier holding a knife to an Afghan child.
The two countries have also been locked in simmering trade war for the last eight months with the Asian superpower hitting Australian exports such as wine and barley with huge tariffs.
The communist nation has gone on the offensive after Australia spoke up on issues such as pushing for an inquiry into the origins of coronavirus and being critical of China's expansion in the South China Sea.
Mr Hu said Australia is perceived as the most unfriendly country towards China currently with the exception of the United States.
He specifically mentioned Australia excluding Huawei from construction of its 5G network and the passing of an 'Anti-Foreign Interference' law aimed at China.
Mr Hu said the Australian ambassador explained to him at the meeting that he hopes tensions ease between the two nations.
'He asked me to note that Australia's attitude on many issues related to China is different from that of the United States ... he also said that Australia is an ally of the United States and this cannot be changed,' Mr Hu wrote.
The Global Times newspaper said Beijing can easily replace Australian wine and other products like barley - which have been hit with heavy tariffs in recent months
This image, shared online by a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, is what first sparked the latest diplomatic row - falsely showing an Australian soldier holding a knife to a child's throat
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lijian Zhao posted a doctored image of showing a grinning Australian soldier holding a knife to the throat of an Afghan child
An editorial published in the Global Times this week echoed what Mr Hu said was discussed in the meeting, finishing on a positive note.
'2020 is almost over. Looking to 2021, China-Australia relations need to improve.'
China is Australia's largest trading nation - with two way trade between the countries amounting to $252billion in 2019.
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham on Thursday warned the world is watching as China picks off more Australian export markets one by one.
Cotton and wheat farmers have been warned they could be next after China extended sanctions on Australian timber and slapped new ones on lamb.
Honey and pharmaceutical producers could also be targeted as the trade dispute continues to spiral.
China imposed a 212 per cent tariff on Australian wine last week which threatens to cripple the $6billion industry.
The massive tariffs and duties on Australian wine - which exports a staggering 39% of all its product to China - followed claims by the Beijing foreign exporters were 'dumping' cheap wine on the Chinese market.
Many Australians were stunned to discover how many wineries were owned by or had links to Chinese investors on a list that was circulated online on Wednesday.
Daily Mail Australia does not suggest the owners of the vineyards support China's communist regime or that they are influenced by Beijing.
Kilikanoon Wines, based in South Australia, is owned by Chinese winemaker Changyu Pioneer Wine Co
Hillcrest Winery and Distillery was bought by Chinese investors in 2018 for $4.6 million
Some of the vineyards singled out by the Vino e Amigos Facebook page hit back at calls for their popular wines to be blacklisted, labelling any boycott as un-Australian, unfair and misguided.
Travis Fuller, general manager at Kilikanoon, called for Australians to support local vineyards rather than try to hurt them.
Kilikanoon Wines, based in South Australia, was snapped up by China's largest wine company Changyu Pioneer Wine Co. in 2018.
The company purchased an 80 per cent stake in the winery in 2018 for $20.6million before buying an additional 15 per cent stake in August this year for $3.91million.
Mr Fuller said the company employed 32 direct staff and 20 growers and families who all lived within the Clare Valley region.
'Like any other close knit member of the wine community, we continue to strive to successfully grow our regional wine business across the globe,' he said.
Senator Birmingham said China had displayed an unacceptable pattern of behaviour this year that undermined its free trade deal with Australia and flouted global commitments to the World Trade Organisation.
'Australia is not the only country that has seen these types of punitive measures and I expect the rest of the world will be watching quite closely what is happening in Australia,' he told ABC radio on Thursday.
Chinese media has warned that Australia is 'economically dependent on China'. Pictured: Australian-made wine in Beijing
Some of the Australian vineyards with Chinese links
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Knappstein
Bought last year by Australian Yinmore Wines, which was part of the China-based Yunnan Yinmore Group, reportedly for $15 million.
Kilaknoon Wines
Owned by Chinese winemaker Changyu Pioneer Wine Co.
The company purchased an 80 per cent stake in the winery in 2018 for $20.6 million.
In August this year the company bought a 15 per cent stake in the winery for $3.91 million.
Hollick Wines
Hong Kong Yingda Investment Co bought a large chunk of the vineyard in 2014.
Cimicky Wines
It sold to Chinese investors in 2018 for $6.6 million.
1847 Wines and Chateau Yaldara
Chinese businessman Arthur Wang purchased the winery for an undisclosed sum in 2010.
Mr Wang also bought the renowned Chateau Yaldara in 2014 for $15.5million.
Auswan Creek
Chinese company Swan Wine Group own the vineyard - which was hit with the lowest tariff barrier when Beijing imposed a levy up to 212 per cent on Aussie wine last week.
Max's Vineyard
The Chinese firm Jia Yuan Hua Wines took ownership of the vineyard for $3million in 2017.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Palinda Wines
Woodside Valley Estate and the Perth Hills Western Range were bought by the Hong Kong-based business Palinda Wines for an undisclosed amount in 2012.
Ferngroves
A Chinese company bought a majority stake in the popular company in 2011
TASMANIA
Nocton
It was established by Chinese owners in 1999. It has an office in Beijing and distributes wines around China.
VICTORIA
Hillcrest
It was bought by Chinese investors for a rumoured $4.6 million in 2018.
Wild Cattle Creek
The estate, near Seville, was bought by Chinese investors for $8.5 million in 2018
NEW SOUTH WALES
Allandale Winery
The Hunter Valley winery was purchased by wealthy Chinese investor, Wang Zhe, in 2016.
It's rumored the businessman tried a glass of Chardonnay at the winery and enjoyed it so much he asked to buy the entire estate.
Capercaillie Wine
The 16-hectare changed hands for $1.89 million in 2011 after being snapped up by Chinese buyers.
'This is damaging not just in terms of the business or trade relationship, but it is damaging in terms of heightening the level of risk and concern that businesses right around the world have in terms of dealing with China.
'It doesn't just increase that risk profile for Australian businesses, it does so for everyone.'
Senator Birmingham said Australian exporters needed to balance risk and reward in their approach to China.
'Through the course of this year, unfortunately, the risk of trade with China has heightened considerably,' he said.
Many sectors are still seeing record-breaking levels of trade despite the worsening Chinese dispute.
Wild Cattle Creek Estate, near Seville, was bought by Chinese investors for $8.5 million in 2018
How China's feud with Australia has escalated
2019: Australian intelligence services conclude that China was responsible for a cyber-attack on Australia's parliament and three largest political parties in the run-up to a May election.
April 2020: Australian PM Scott Morrison begins canvassing his fellow world leaders for an inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. Britain and France are initially reluctant but more than 100 countries eventually back an investigation.
April 15: Morrison is one of the few leaders to voice sympathy with Donald Trump's criticisms of the World Health Organization, which the US president accuses of bias towards China.
April 21: China's embassy accuses Australian foreign minister Peter Dutton of 'ignorance and bigotry' and 'parroting what those Americans have asserted' after he called for China to be more transparent about the outbreak.
April 23: Australia's agriculture minister David Littleproud calls for G20 nations to campaign against the 'wet markets' which are common in China and linked to the earliest coronavirus cases.
April 26: Chinese ambassador Cheng Jingye hints at a boycott of Australian wine and beef and says tourists and students might avoid Australia 'while it's not so friendly to China'. Canberra dismisses the threat and warns Beijing against 'economic coercion'.
May 11: China suspends beef imports from four of Australia's largest meat processors. These account for more than a third of Australia's $1.1billion beef exports to China.
May 18: The World Health Organization backs a partial investigation into the pandemic, but China says it is a 'joke' for Australia to claim credit. The same day, China imposes an 80 per cent tariff on Australian barley. Australia says it may challenge this at the WTO.
May 21: China announces new rules for iron ore imports which could allow Australian imports - usually worth $41billion per year - to be singled out for extra bureaucratic checks.
June 5: Beijing warns tourists against travelling to Australia, alleging racism and violence against the Chinese in connection with Covid-19.
June 9: China's Ministry of Education warns students to think carefully about studying in Australia, similarly citing alleged racist incidents.
June 19: Australia says it is under cyber-attack from a foreign state which government sources say is believed to be China. The attack has been targeting industry, schools, hospitals and government officials, Morrison says.
July 9: Australia suspends extradition treaty with Hong Kong and offers to extend the visas of 10,000 Hong Kongers who are already in Australia over China's national security law which effectively bans protest.
August 18: China launches 12-month anti-dumping investigation into wines imported from Australia in a major threat to the $6billion industry.
August 26: Prime Minster Scott Morrison announces he will legislate to stop states and territories signing deals with foreign powers that go against Australia's foreign policy. Analysts said it is aimed at China.
October 13: Trade Minister Simon Birmingham says he's investigating reports that Chinese customs officials have informally told state-owned steelmakers and power plants to stop Aussie coal, leaving it in ships off-shore.
November 2: Agriculture Minister David Littleproud reveals China is holding up Aussie lobster imports by checking them for minerals.
November 3: Barley, sugar, red wine, logs, coal, lobster and copper imports from Australia unofficially banned under a directive from the government, according to reports.
November 18: China releases bizarre dossier of 14 grievances with Australia.
November 30: Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lijian Zhao posted a doctored image showing a grinning Australian soldier holding a knife to the throat of an Afghan child. The move outraged Australians