China's ambassador said on Friday Australia had fired the "first shot" in deteriorating trade relations but that there was an opportunity to improve bilateral ties if the new government in Canberra took action.
China is Australia's largest trading partner and the biggest customer for its iron ore, but relations have deteriorated in recent years. China has imposed trade sanctions on Australian products in response to policies and decisions such as Australia's call for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and its 5G network ban on Huawei.
