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China has told Australians it reserves the right to use military force to seize control of Taiwan against the wishes of the island’s 23 million people, deepening fears of war after days of Chinese missile launches and naval drills to lay claim to the territory.
The Chinese ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, yesterday said the use of force was an option to achieve reunification so the people of Taiwan might have the “correct understanding” of China, after the state council in Beijing said it would use “all necessary measures” to achieve reunification.
China’s ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, says Australians should “use their imagination” about whether his country would use military force to seize control of Taiwan.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Speaking to the National Press Club, Xiao said Australia had a chance to reset relations with China to improve trade and clear the way for a meeting between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping as soon as the G20 summit at the end of this year, but he said Canberra had to respect China’s claim to Taiwan.
A key climate agency has opened the door for the Albanese government to allow Australian companies to buy international carbon credits to offset domestic emissions, sparking fresh warnings from climate advocates about controversial offshore schemes in developing countries.
The federal government last month upgraded Australia’s climate target under the Paris Agreement, pledging to cut emissions by 43 per cent by 2030. A key part of its plan to reach the target is to impose pollution caps on Australia’s 215 biggest greenhouse emitters under a beefed-up safeguard mechanism, which will tighten over time.
A government agency has suggested Australia will benefit from international carbon trading, sparking fears among climate groups of fake climate action.Credit:Wildlife Alliance
Companies captured by the safeguard mechanism must either adopt cleaner technology or pay to offset their emissions by buying credits from projects that sequester carbon. The policy will significantly increase demand for carbon credits, and experts are warning there will not be enough available on the domestic market for local polluters to stay under their cap.
Good morning and thanks for your company.
It’s Thursday, August 11. I’m Broede Carmody and I’ll be anchoring our live coverage for the first half of the day.
Here’s what you need to know before we get started.
- The Chinese ambassador has told Australians his country reserves the right to use military force to seize control of Taiwan against the wishes of the island’s 23 million people. As David Crowe and Eryk Bagshaw write, yesterday’s speech to the National Press Club has deepened fears of a future war.
- There’s no evidence that the worst of COVID has passed, Australian virologists say. “Every prediction I have made about the evolution of this virus has been wrong,” one scientist told this masthead.
- Mike Foley writes that a controversy is brewing over the role Australian companies might play in buying international carbon credits to offset their local emissions.
- And business leaders are telling the federal government to use its upcoming jobs summit to boost the number of workers in the country. It comes after Australia’s top union called for next month’s meeting to debate radical changes to the economy. Shane Wright has more.