Australian PM calls for WTO reform amid China tension

Relations with China, already rocky after Australia banned Huawei from its nascent 5G broadband networking in 2018, cooled further after Canberra called this year for an independent investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, first reported in central China last year.

Australia has said it will not bow to Chinese pressure and has launched an appeal to the WTO over China's imposition of tariffs totalling more than 80% that has effectively stopped a billion-dollar trade in its tracks.

But with the appeal likely to take years, Morrison will call on G7 countries to endorse reform of the WTO ahead its ministerial conference in November.

Morrison also said he will support U.S. President Joe Biden's calls for an inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.