Analysis On April 21, the Australian government intervened to cancel the state of Victoria’s controversial Belt and Road deal with Beijing stating that the arrangement was inconsistent with Australia’s foreign policy and national interests. The move was criticised by a Chinese diplomat who noted it would not help improve bilateral relations which became tense over the last year as Australia refused to kowtow to economic coercion and took measures to protect itself from Beijing’s interference. While Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ state Labor government has been relatively silent since the federal government’s intervention, many experts and politicians who support classical liberal values at home and abroad, have expressed support for the move, with one state senator saying that it was “a great day for Australia.” What is the Belt and Road Initiative? The BRI is the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) trillion-dollar dual-purpose infrastructure scheme that seeks to increase China’s influence under …