Sky News host Rita Panahi says Victoria was “happy to get into bed with a rogue, hostile regime” when it decided to sign up to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a deal that is contrary to Australia’s national interest.

Ms Panahi said Daniel Andrews was “Beijing’s useful idiot” for signing his state up to the Belt and Road Initiative, which was this week torn up by Foreign Minister Marise Payne under sweeping new veto powers.

“We’ve seen the federal government step in to save Victoria from itself by tearing up two deals with the Chinese Communist Party under the Belt and Road initiative which is designed to advance China’s interests and global influence,” she said.

“He ignored the advice of some cabinet colleagues and departmental experts and ran the secretive agreements out of his office.”

Ms Panahi said the federal government had grown increasingly concerned about China’s “debt-trap diplomacy”.

“Under the scheme, China seizes on the weakness of foreign countries and their internal political divisions to drive its agenda,” she said.