Australia’s coronavirus disputes with China are growing. So are debates over its deep economic ties to Beijing.

SEOUL — Soon after Australian officials called in April for a joint international investigation of the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, the Chinese government ratcheted up pressure on Canberra to drop a proposal that it believed would unfairly target China.

In an interview last weekend, Chinese Ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye hinted that Beijing held a powerful card: a boycott. Persist with the inquiry, Cheng said, and “ordinary people might ask: “Why should we drink Australian wine? Why eat Australian beef?”