Commentary Recently Chinese authorities have been scrambling to figure out a way to reinvigorate China’s failed trade war with Australia. Relations between China and Australia have been on a downward spiral over the last 12 to 18 months, triggered by the Australian government’s call for an international probe into the origins of COVID-19. On June 24, 2021, Chinese authorities fired another shot at Australia by filing an action at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against Australian tariffs on three Chinese imports, including railway wheels, wind towers, and stainless-steel sinks. Days earlier, on June 21, Beijing announced a significant investigation into iron ore prices after being left red-faced following the rebound of the cost for the steelmaking ingredient in the last four weeks. This is despite continued attempts to bring it down. Experts say that China’s continued reliance on Australia’s iron ore market, where 80 percent of its imports come from, …