China says relations with Australia are in 'a sharp downturn' ࢀ" and it's all Canberra's fault

Relations between Australia and China have been frosty for years, but the situation deteriorated rapidly after Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in April called for an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. In September, the last two reporters from Australian news organizations in China had to be evacuated after they were aggressively questioned by authorities over a national security case involving Cheng Lei, an Australian journalist working for Chinese state media. The RCEP, which was signed on Sunday, is a huge trade agreement which brings together 14 countries in the Asia Pacific, including China and Australia, in…