US reaping benefits of Australia's trade, political disputes with China: media

HONG KONG -- Observers said the United States is reaping the benefits of Australia's trade and political disputes with China, the South China Morning Post has reported.

The newspaper said the United States has done little to advance its commitment to support its ally and on the contrary, American exporters have cashed in, with wine, coal and beef exports from the United States to China now far greater than those from Australia.

Australia did not export any coal to China for the eighth month in a row, while the United States sold 636,000 tonnes of coal worth 117 million U.S. dollars.

American exporters have also been selling much more bottled wine to China than Australia has. In July, the United States sold China nearly 3.5 million dollars worth of wine in containers of up to two liters, while Australia sold about 400,000 dollars worth of the product.

Monthly beef exports from the United States to China have more than doubled this year, making the United States surpassing Australia in exports of frozen beef, a trade dominated by Australia for years.

Observers have suggested that Washington is prioritizing its own economic interests over those of its ally, despite repeated promises by U.S. politicians to stand with Australia against the so-called economic coercion from China.