Australia cancels Victoria state deals with China on Belt and Road cooperation

Australia has canceled two deals struck by its state of Victoria with China to cooperate on Beijing's flagship Belt and Road Initiative, the foreign minister said on Wednesday.

Under a new process, the minister, Marise Payne, can review deals struck with foreign nations by Australia's states and universities.

Payne said she had decided to cancel four deals, including two that Victoria agreed with China in 2018 and 2019. "I consider these four arrangements to be inconsistent with Australia's foreign policy or adverse to our foreign relations in line with the relevant test in Australia's Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Act 2020," she said in the statement.