China labels Clive Palmer's verbal attack on Q&A 'absurd' and 'irresponsible'

Updated

The Chinese embassy in Australia has labelled Clive Palmer's stinging verbal attack on the country as "absurd" and "irresponsible".

On the ABC's Q&A program on Monday night, Mr Palmer called the Chinese government "bastards" and "mongrels" and claimed they "shoot their own people".

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy told the ABC the comments "were full of ignorance and prejudice".

"We believe that a sound China-Australian relationship serves the fundamental interests of both countries. It is and will always be supported by the two peoples," the spokesman added.

The mining magnate and MP, whose Palmer United Party wields crucial balance-of-power votes in the Senate, was responding to questions about his bitter legal battle with a Chinese state-owned company.

Federal Cabinet ministers and the West Australian Premier have also lined up to condemn Mr Palmer's stinging verbal attack.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told Fairfax Radio she planned to tell the Chinese embassy the Australian Parliament does not share Mr Palmer's "abusive" views.

"It really isn't appropriate for him to use a national television program to vent his bitterness about a legal dispute he is having with a Chinese company," Ms Bishop said.

Treasurer Joe Hockey described Mr Palmer's comments as "hugely damaging".

"I'd say to Mr Palmer, please do not bring down the rest of Australia because of your biases," Mr Hockey said.

"They are a business partner for Australia, they're our biggest trading partner, they buy a lot of our produce, and in doing so they help to lift the quality of life for everyday Australians."

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce has also criticised the remarks.

"Clive started with a company called China First. He wanted to make a lot of money out of dealing with China. You can't blame the Chinese for being tough business people, that's what business is about. But the emotive and colourful language are not the way you do business," he said.

Trade Minister Andrew Robb says the Government is reassuring China that it "greatly values Australia’s strong and growing relationship with China and its people".

"The Abbott Government warmly looks forward to the official visit by president Xi Jinping later this year, ahead of the G20 in Brisbane," Mr Robb said in a statement released this afternoon.

"Peripheral issues will not distract the Government in its work to broaden and deepen this most important relationship."

West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has said he will personally apologise to China.

"I'll be issuing an explanation to the Chinese embassy in Canberra," he said.

"From West Australia's point of view we totally repudiate the comments that Mr Palmer has made, and I will extend an apology to the Chinese on that basis."

Professor Han Feng from the China Academy of Social Sciences says Mr Palmer's comments are unlikely to hurt Australia's relationship with China.

"I think the Chinese government will definitely be not happy with this because of the hurt from unreasonable accusations and abuse towards Chinese people, but he only represents himself," Professor Han said.

"He doesn't represent the majority of Australian people nor the Australian Government.

"There will be a direct impact in his business with Chinese companies because he politicised a simple business problem."

Lambie raises threat of 'Chinese Communist invasion'

In a statement, Tasmanian Palmer United Party (PUP) Senator Jacqui Lambie has defended her leader.

"If anybody thinks that we should have a national security and defence policy which ignores the threat of a Chinese Communist invasion - you're delusional and [you've] got rocks in your head," Senator Lambie said.

"Both Labor and the Liberals/Nationals have failed to build an Australian military that is able to defend us and stop our grandchildren from becoming slaves to an aggressive, anti-democratic, totalitarian foreign power."

Chinese-born PUP senator Dio Wang said Mr Palmer's comments were "taken out of context".

"Much of the media comment appears to ignore the context of Mr Palmer's statements which came as a result of persistent and even provocative questioning by the host," Senator Wang said.

"Having more than once given an appropriate answer to the questions put to him, Mr Palmer naturally reacted and used expressions that were subsequently taken out of context.

"I would not have been endorsed twice as the lead Western Australia Senate candidate if the party leader did not genuinely value the Chinese people."

The Australian Industry Group has passed a resolution at a meeting in Brisbane condemning "ill-considered and inappropriate statements made last night by the Member for Fairfax, Clive Palmer".

"The national executive sees Mr Palmer's comments as a new low in the political debate that further highlights and is representative of the poor state of politics in Australia today," the resolution said.

"The statements, by a prominent member of the Australian Parliament about our major trading partner, risk significant damage to Australia's standing as a natural destination for foreign investment and have the potential to materially damage our reputation as a desirable trading partner."

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says Mr Palmer has been irresponsible.

"China is one of our most important relationships and unwarranted sprays like this are not helpful at all," Mr Shorten said.

"I think a lot of Chinese-Australians would understandably feel hurt by these comments."

In an interview with the ABC Senator Lambie said: "Tony Abbott's sleepy, sleepy and I say to the PM wakey, wakey this is a national security issue and he needs to get up with the program."

Palmer claimed China 'wants resources for free'

When Q&A host Tony Jones asked Mr Palmer about allegations he funnelled millions of dollars out of a business bank account to fund his election campaign, the mining magnate and MP said he was "owed about $500 million by the Communist Chinese government".

"We'll be suing them and they'll be answering the questions," he said.

"We've had three judgements in the Federal Court and the Supreme Court of Western Australia and an arbitration against these Chinese mongrels - I'm saying that because they're Communist, they shoot their own people, they haven't got a justice system and they want to take over this country. And we're not going to let them," he said.

"The Chinese government wants to bring workers here to destroy our wage system ... they want to take over our ports and get our resources for free.

"So far they've shifted $200 million worth of iron ore out of this country without paying for it. I don't mind standing up against the Chinese bastards and stop them from doing it."

Mr Palmer sent a tweet on Tuesday morning clarifying his position: "My Q&A comments not intended to refer to Chinese people but to Chinese company which is taking Australian resources & not paying."

Palmer's bitter legal fight with Chinese partners

Mr Palmer is locked in a legal battle with the Chinese-owned Citic Pacific over massive cost blow-outs and disputed royalty payments at an iron ore port at Cape Preston in Western Australia.

The dispute centres on a Mineralogy-controlled bank account known as Port Palmer Operations to which Mr Palmer was the only signatory at the time.

Citic claims this was an administration fund and under its agreement with Mineralogy money was only to be spent on the operation of Port Preston.

Two cheques, one for $10 million that went to Mr Palmer's Cosmo Developments, and another for $2.17 million that went to Brisbane-based PR firm Media Circus, were spent from this bank account.

The Australian newspaper has reported that the money paid to Media Circus was used to pay for advertising material used during Mr Palmer's successful run for a House of Representatives seat in 2013.

Court documents state Mr Palmer's company Queensland Nickel put $12.7 million back into the account after the issue was first raised in the media.

Mr Palmer has previously said the money was in bank accounts operated by his Mineralogy mining company, and he was free to spend it as he pleased.

He said he could not recall signing the two cheques. Documents have emerged showing he personally signed the original agreement with Citic over the use of the bank account.

Citic has previously warned that Mr Palmer's aggressive behaviour could force other Chinese companies to reconsider putting money into his other ventures.

Topics: federal-parliament, parliament, clive-palmer, political-parties, minor-parties, foreign-affairs, government-and-politics, australia, china

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