Even before the revival of the Quad, the relationship was deteriorating rapidly following the introduction by the Turnbull government in 2017 of new foreign interference transparency laws to reduce foreign (universally understood as Chinese) influence in Australian politics—and within the Chinese-Australian diaspora. This triggered a series of other measures taken by Australia to tighten controls over Chinese engagement with Australian state and other subnational governments and public entities, as well as Chinese foreign investment activity, with almost immediate consequences for inbound
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