What's Driving The Energy Feud Between China And Australia?

It all started as an ordinary geopolitical spat. When Australian authorities called for an official inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, few could foresee that such a seemingly conventional diplomatic step might bring about far-reaching ramifications for China’s steel industry, its domestic coal prices and one of Australia’s largest commodity streams, namely its coal exports to China. China wanted to strike hard – it drastically reduced its Australian coal imports just when iron ore quotes bounced back from all the…