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The Turnbull government refused to issue an agreement signed with China on the controversial "Belt and Road Initiative" infrastructure program on the grounds that Beijing does not want to make it public.
Trade Minister Steven Ciobo signed the Memorandum of Understanding last September for cooperation on the construction of infrastructure such as roads, bridges and dams in third countries – including in the framework of The Belt and Road Initiative – during a visit to Beijing.
Canberra 's response to the BIS has been a whole while supporting more infrastructure in Asia and the Pacific region and wishing opportunities for Australian companies, he is concerned that the. initiative is a strategic game from Beijing to dominate the region and involves murky funding that could leave poor countries beholden to Beijing. The memorandum of understanding should indicate Australia's terms of cooperation with China – for example that projects are financially transparent not to involve corruption, to truly help other countries and not to impose on them an unsustainable debt.
But the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade refused to disclose the agreement under the Freedom of Information Act
. Fairfax Media states that "both parties are required to agree to publish the text of the Memorandum of Understanding and China has not agreed to do so".
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