Clive Palmer launches an angry tirade against China when asked about his legal battle with Citic Pacific on the ABC’s Q&A

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

Clive Palmer has delivered an extraordinary tirade against Australia’s biggest trading partner, describing the Chinese government as “mongrels” who shoot their own people.

In a broad spray on national television, the Palmer United party leader accused the “communist Chinese government” of trying to take over Australia’s ports to steal the nation’s natural resources.

“I don’t mind standing up against the Chinese bastards and stopping them from doing it,” he told ABC’s Q&A program on Monday night.

Palmer is embroiled in a legal battle with Chinese state-owned company Citic Pacific, which has accused the mining magnate of siphoning off $12m in funds.

He has strenuously denied accusations his company Mineralogy misused Citic Pacific’s cash to finance PUP’s federal election campaign. He said the matter was before the Supreme Court this week and he’d keep up the fight against the “Chinese mongrels”.

“I’m saying that because they’re communist, because they shoot their own people, they haven’t got a justice system and they want to take over this country,” Palmer said. “We’re not going to let them do it.”

Several of Palmer’s political opponents have in the past accused the outspoken Queensland MP of jeopardising Australia’s relations with China.

On Tuesday morning the Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce told the ABC Palmer’s comments on Monday night were “unhelpful”.

China is Australia’s largest trading partner, with two-way trade worth nearly $151bn in 2013.