Former Independent senator Cory Bernardi is backing an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic as Beijing’s ambassador warns China could boycott Australia.

The ambassador has told the Financial Review the push could lead to a Chinese consumer boycott of students and tourists visiting Australia, as well as sales of popular agricultural exports like beef and wine.

But Former Independent Senator Cory Bernardi has backed the Prime Minister’s right to call out China.

“China is absolutely culpable in denigrating the economies of the western world.

“The fact that they’ve decided not to report and deceive the World Health Organisation. who is complicit in all of this, I think is testament to our scepticism of what we are told of what comes out of the Chinese empire.”

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Image: Getty/Michael Masters