Australian economy would suffer if China students stay away

The Audit Office of the New South Wales government found course fees from overseas students, worth A$3.6 billion, made up a third of university revenue in the state in 2019.

SYDNEY: Australia's economy, facing its first recession in 30 years because of the coronavirus, would suffer if Chinese students heeded a warning from their government to stay away because of racist incidents, Australia's trade minister said on Wednesday.

International education is Australia's fourth-largest foreign exchange earner, worth A$38 billion ($26 billion) annually, and more critical to the economy than beef or barley, products hit with Chinese import bans and tariffs last month.