GOLD COAST BULLETIN
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
THE Abbott government fought to preserve its $150bn trade relationship with China after comments by billionaire and MP Clive Palmer sparked a diplomatic nightmare.
Cabinet Ministers and West Australian Premier Colin Barnett raced to publicly rebuke the Senate kingmaker while privately trying to hold talks with the Chinese Embassy in Canberra.
A spokeswoman for the Chinese Embassy said Mr Palmer’s comments were “absurd’’ and attached a radio transcript of Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop defending China.
“The words of Mr Clive Palmer MP are absurd and irresponsible, which are full of ignorance and
prejudice,’’ the spokeswoman said.
On ABC’S Q&A program on Tuesday night, Mr Palmer labelled the Chinese “mongrels’’ and said “they shoot their own people, they haven’t got a justice system and want to take over this country’’.
He made the extraordinary comments while being repeatedly pressed about his ongoing legal battle with Chinese company Citic Pacific, which was suing him over mining royalties in WA.
Agricultural Minister Barnaby
Joyce used Mr Palmer’s bizarre attack to remind the public the government had to negotiate with the Palmer United Party leader to get its Budget passed.
Shocked businesses and Australian-chinese residents warned that the Chinese government would be wounded by Mr Palmer’s spray, which, it was feared, could affect investment and trade in Australia.
Mr Palmer tried to hose down his comments by tweeting he was talking only about Citic Pacific.