A sharp worsening in relations between Australia and China could threaten a deal that would have seen Woodside Petroleum sell a stake in a natural gas field and in the $16-billion Scarborough liquefied natural gas project. The chief executive officer of Woodside, Peter Coleman, told Reuters in an interview that the talks for the stake sales had been suspended several months ago, adding that he still hoped they will be resumed after the diplomatic row is resolved. The row erupted when Australia insisted on an international inquiry into the origin of the coronavirus that first appeared in China, which signaled the start of a trade war that has been affecting more and more Australian industries. According to the Financial Times, the dispute has put under threat as much as $4.6 billion worth of Australian exports to China. The latter is Australia’s largest trading partner, which gives Beijing quite a […]