Australia’s Foreign Minister, Senator Marise Payne on Wednesday night officially tore up Victoria’s controversial Belt and Road (BRI) deals with Beijing, saying they were not consistent with the national interest. Payne exercised recently granted powers under Australia’s Foreign Relations Act to axe four deals in total, all between the Victorian state government and foreign regimes, including Iran, Syria, and China. Two shredded deals were signed by state Premier Dan Andrews and Beijing’s National Development and Reform Commission. The first agreement, a 2018 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) saw Victoria pledge to work on infrastructure projects within the Chinese regime’s Silk Road Economic Belt, and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative, commonly known as the Belt and Road Initiative. The second axed Victorian deal was a 2019 framework agreement on jointly promoting the BRI. Minister Payne also cancelled a 2004 MOU between Victoria’s Department of Education and Training and the Islamic …