BCB in Brief: Australia's cyber and South China Sea statements and WTO proceedings

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What happened

• Canberra joined London, Washington, Wellington, and other capitals on 26 March and expressed “serious concerns about malicious cyber activities by China state-backed actors targeting UK democratic institutions and parliamentarians.”

• This coordinated criticism of China was followed on 27 March by the release of a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade statement expressing “serious concerns … about the actions conducted by China’s vessels against Philippine vessels and crew.”

• The South China Sea statement was released shortly after the World Trade Organization (WTO) published a panel report, which found, among other things, technical issues with Australia’s anti-dumping measures on Chinese wind towers.