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Australia’s move to scrap Victoria-China Belt and Road agreement goes viral on Weibo
The federal government’s decision to dump Victoria’s Belt and Road (BRI) agreement has apparently struck a nerve in China — or at least in Beijing — with a hashtag on social media network Weibo getting more than 260 million views.
Key points:
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The Chinese state is believed to exercise an inordinate influence on Weibo
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Most of the popular posts under the hashtag were from the accounts of state media and the Central Communist Youth League
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The reaction from Chinese-Australian business and community groups has been mixed
While much of the social media fury has been driven by Beijing’s propaganda apparatus, some business leaders in Australia say they too are disappointed by the “stupid” move.
The federal government on Wednesday used new…
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